What could happen?
by redpheonix
Summary: Tortall Police Department Officer recieves her first mission, but it doesn't have any of the glory she thought it would. She finds out that she won't be partnered with any of her friends or colleagues.
1. Interrupted Routine

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A young woman nearing the age of twenty stared at her reflection in the mirror while brushing straight white teeth. Her nose was small and delicate with light freckles that danced around the stem. Her eyes were hazel and serious except when she was around a certain green eyed man who had a knack for trouble. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun atop her head. She wore a white cami and plaid green boxer shorts to sleep in. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes while getting in one last good brush. She spat in the crème-colored sink and rinsed her mouth out. She dabbed a washcloth at her full lips and sighed while turning on the shower. She was about to strip herself of her clothes when she heard a loud knock from her front door. She ran over unsure of who would come at this time of day. 

The knock persisted and continued on her head once she opened the door. A green eyed officer smirked at her while removing his hand. " I see someone isn't the early bird today. Could it have something to do with a party I heard about?"

She snorted," I don't think one with a big head like you could so easily forget his birthday. Yet you did have one too many shots last night. Remember? Cleon and I had to help you to your room."

He frowned, "It _was my _birthday after all. I believe I'm entitled to do whatever I please on my special day, dearest Keladry."

"The day that you're allowed to day as you please, is the day when all hell breaks lose."

He folded his arms across his chest and stuck out his lower lip in a pout. "I see, I thought you wouldn't listen to what others said about me Keladry but you're no different."

She laughed and pushed him in the hall. "Really, why are awake this early? It's not even close to feeding time."

"Well Kel, do you remember that we work for Tortall Police Department. We are both first class officers," he pounded his chest with his fist, then sighed," and we need to report to Chief Wyldon for a new assignment. So, as much as I'm sure the Stump would love to see you in your night attire, I'd think it best if you hurry up and pulled on your day time attire."

"Sure, sure hold on a second. You're welcome to raid my pantry as usual while I change." She walked back into her apartment and strode over to her bedroom to change, while Neal happily rummaged through her pantry.

She pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans and a red sweatshirt over her cami and boxers. She took one last glance in her adjoining bathroom and shrugged. She never used makeup and her hair was usually pulled back while on the job. She put on a pair of old grey sneakers and walked back out to meet Neal who was at the moment stuffing his face with as much Frosted Flakes that he could.

"I hope you didn't have breakfast already." she said with an unapproved look in her hazel eyes.

He chewed vigorously before replying," There's nothing wrong with having two breakfasts _Mother._ Come on we don't want to see the Stump crack now do we?"

"I was actually waiting on you, but let's not argue. It's too early in the morning."

He nodded and led the way out of the small apartment after grabbing for the box of Frosted Flakes that Kel tried to put back in the pantry. She sighed and pushed him out into the hall while locking the door.

He held his arm out for her to take and said in a mocking voice, " Car or bus, milady?"

She shoved him away and dangled the keys in front of his face, "Car. Now get a move on." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the elevator down the hall. From there they went to the groundfloor and out into the parking lot.


	2. Mission

Kel hesitated before knocking onto Commander Wyldon's office. The butterflies in her stomach were now kicking in at full force. She was getting a new assignment! But, on the other hand, she was frightened to death. She knew she wouldn't be partnered with Neal for the old Stump had asked to speak with them separately and they weren't to talk about their missions afterwards.

Sweaty hands met wood as she knocked quietly on the door. She heard a grunt from the other side and took that as a cue to come in.

_'Breathe; I'm a cool calm lake.' _Kel thought while entering Commander Wyldon's office. The old stump of a man gestured for her to sit down and she sat in the chair facing opposite of Wyldon.

"Welcome Officer Keladry, do you know why you're here?"

"Only that I'm to receive my next mission sir," she stated with her hands clasped in her lap.

"Very good, now tell me Mindelan, which of our _neighbors_ is planning attacks on the country at this very moment?" he said while leaning forward in his seat.

"Scanra, sir," she answered, feeling excitement boil up inside her.

"And who is now in control of those barbarians?" he asked while a vein became to bulge on his temple just thinking about the man.

"President Maggur, sir, even though their country is no long a democracy. He uses the title of President to fool us, sir. He is really a dictator, a greedy one at that."

"All dictators are greedy Mindelan. Now, as you know, Maggur is planning various attacks on the capital to weaken our forces. We've also had strange reports on new devices they've been creating on the border. I need you to head over in enemy territory as a spy. You will send us all the information you can on these devices, this is serious business and if you mess up, I will be forced to demote you."

"Sir," Kel interrupted," what will be my new identity and the like?"

"You Officer will now be known as Kelly Young. You will be a nuclear scientist fresh out of college. You will be posing as one of the scientists working for the government's military equipment. You won't need to disguise yourself since you've never been in enemy territory before. But I would like for you to wear glasses and more businesswoman attire. One of our top agents will be assisting you along the way. And no, you don't know him because he's been in the Copper Isles as a spy while you've been in training. You will have to break off all communication with your family and friends. I will be the only one you can speak to and report to. And I will have no complaints on this or I'll find someone else to do the job. You, of course, can send letters through me, but it will take weeks longer than it usually does. You will be meeting your partner at the border. Now pack your bags Mindelan, you're leaving tomorrow. I'll be sending you with files of information for you to read on and the story of Kelly Young, which you are to memorize. Now get a move on your dismissed."

Kel left the room as fast as she could, not wanting to displease the easily enraged Commander. She couldn't believe it, she was being sent off to Scanra. Her heart soared at the thought of benefiting the nation, but it sunk at the thought of leaving her family and friends behind. She'd just have to forget about them and focus mainly on the mission.

She walked briskly down the hall, lost in her thoughts till she ran into Neal who'd been waiting for her in the lobby. He smiled widely at her, "So... what is it Wonder Woman, are you off to save the world again?"

She tried her best to smile, but ended up grimacing instead. Neal led her to the parking lot with a bounce in his step, he was obviously happy about his mission. He waited for Kel to unlock the door and saw a lost look in her eyes. "Kel, old girl, what's wrong?"

She kept her mask on while unlocking the car. "Nothing, Neal, why would you say that?"

"Don't lie Kel, it doesn't suit you. I know the wheels are turning in your head. Tell me or I'll continue to bother you till you do."

She sighed while turning on the ignition. "Neal, I'm off to leave for my mission tomorrow."

"So? It's not like we've never been separated before."

"Well, I have to break off all contact."

He laughed while drumming his fingers on the window," Wouldn't you be happy about that, Kel? You'll finally be able to get rid of me."

She looked over at her jolly friend. "Neal, I'm being serious. I can't talk to you unless it's through Wyldon. I can't talk to anyone until the mission is over, and it won't be over most likely till it's ruined."

He frowned," Why would you get a mission like that, Kel? I mean you're good and all it's just you're so green you stick out like a sore thumb. Of course, I can't say anything; I'm just as green as well."

She shook her head, "I don't know. But once we get back home, I have to pack. I'm leaving tomorrow."

He nodded," Then we'll make it one hell of a day Kel. We'll send you off with a bang. While you pack, I'll call the boys and we can arrange something."

There was no use in stopping him now; Kel could see the look in his eyes. He was planning something, and nothing or no one could get in his way. She shook her head and paid attention to the road, her mind drifting to the task ahead.


	3. Partner

**Sorry that I didn't thank anyone for the reviews in the last chapter, I think I was in major shock when I wrote it. I was actually planning on deleting this fic, because I thought no one liked it, when in reality I was too stupid to check my email to figure out that people actually did like it! Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed and I haven't replied to any of the reviews because I have a project to work on that's taking a lot of my time. But I have written chapter four already and am in the process of writing chapter five now, I just need to type them.**

**Oh, and to whomever asked me about kel's future romantic interest, I have no idea. In this chapter, people will probably guess, but don't think that he's going to be her crush jet yet, there's plenty of other characters that I'm thinking about as well. I'm thinking of having you guys choose, so review and say who you want it to be. However, it will not be Neal, I've already decided on them having a brother/sister relationship. Review away, should it be Kel/Dom, Kel/Joren, Kel/Cleon (even though I don't want it to be), or Kel/my own character. Review and I'll start with the romance in chapter six or seven.**

**Anyways, thanks and keep reading unless you don't approve ****( and when that happens email me, I can take criticism, I'm a big girl, and it will help me write better. Read!**

**Ch.3 Partner**

Kel leaned against the airplane window and sighed. They were almost there and the light for the seatbelts flashed above her head. Most of the other passengers were in deep sleep, but the keeper of sleep evaded her. She could feel the bags under her eyes and knew she looked the worse for wear. She chose comfort over looks this morning. Her hair was pulled tight in two French braids, one on either side. She wore light make up, thinking she'd fall asleep. She wore flared khaki pants and a dark green v-necked sweater over a white cami. She wore sneakers, just in case she'd need to escape.

The flight attendant announced their descent and she felt the annoying pop in her ears. She watched the Scanran night sky, trying her best to ignore her sore ears. The flight attendant's voice rang out over the speakers again, telling the passengers they'd arrived and were welcome to leave.

She got up quickly and grabbed her black duffle bag and purse. She took quick strides to beat the sleepy passengers. She thanked the flight attendants and the pilot and copilot for the flight while heading out of the plane.

She arrived moments later in the terminal and strode over to an empty seat. She could hear the groans of the awaiting friends and families when they saw her, for she wasn't the one they were looking for.

She turned on her cell phone while playing with the zipper of her purse. She waited for Commander Wyldon's voice on the other end of the line.

"Commander Wyldon," he grunted.

"Officer Mindelan, sir," she whispered into the receiver.

"I take it you made it safely _Kelly_?"

"Yes, sir," she answered clearly.

"Well, is that all then?"

"No, sir, where's my partner?"

"He's there," he answered.

"Um…. how do you know?"

He chuckled," Have you forgotten so easily Officer? We have tracking devices on all of our agents, just in case."

"Oh," she felt a blush grace her cheeks, even if he wasn't in front of her. She felt like a school girl once again caught doing something silly.

"In fact, Mrs. Young, he's coming your way right how, I gave him a description of you moments ago. I had just hung up with him on the phone when you called."

"Oh, well than, I'll report tomorrow sir," she said sheepishly.

"That you will Officer," he said in a stern tone and she heard the click of a phone being hung up.

She sighed and tucked her cell phone back in her purse. She tapped her fingers lightly on the arm of her chair and hummed carelessly to herself. Where was he?

As if on cue, she felt a tapping on her shoulder and jumped. She whirled around and met a pair of stunning blue eyes. She felt her air vanish from her lungs and coughed violently. When she was able to control herself she looked over at the man.

He wore a blue baseball cap over chestnut brown hair that flipped out from under his hat and was cut short. He had a long wide tipped nose. She'd seen that nose somewhere, but couldn't place it. He smiled widely at her, showing perfect white teeth and a pair of dimples. He was tan and very tall, definitely over six feet. He wore a black coat over a light blue shirt and a pair of baggy faded jeans. His hands were in his pockets and he stood waiting for a response.

She cleared her throat. "Yes?"

"Are you by any chance Kelly Young?" he asked. His voice was deep and musical.

She couldn't help but smile back at him. "Yes, and you are?"

He held out his hand to her," Dan Roberts, your partner."

She shook his hand and stood, heaving her bag over her shoulder. "May I?" he asked gesturing towards her duffle bag. She shrugged and handed her bag over. "If you don't mind me saying Kelly, I've never seen a woman travel as light as you."

"I don't mind, it's a habit."

"Oh?" he asked while leading the way through the airport to the parking garage.

"I have a rather…. large family. We had to pack light on vacations so there'd be enough room for us and our stuff."

He chuckled," Makes sense. Are you the eldest or youngest?"

"Youngest, exactly the youngest."

He smiled again, his dimples appearing in the moonlight. "I'm the youngest as well. I guess us babies have to stick together."

"I suppose so. Have you been in Scanra long?"

"I flew out to this waste dump last week, to help get both of our things situated, you know place to live, etc."

She nodded. "I don't remember seeing you at the academy or HQ ever."

He sighed," Once I graduated they sent me out to the Copper Isles. I've been there till this last week. A change of scenery is nice, but I would have enjoyed being back home for a while. But the Commander insisted on our mission starting out as soon as possible. He wouldn't even let me call the folks. I know Mother thinks I'm dead, and Father's considered me dead since I joined the academy. He said it would help ease the pain more when I actually do die," he shook his head. "Sometimes I think he's lost his marbles."

She giggled," Mother told me to be careful this morning. It was hard not to laugh at that comment."

He laughed," If she wanted you to be safe, she should have never given her consent for you to join the academy. We're here," he said while patting a blue Jeep Cherokee like one would pat their dog or cat. He put her bag in the trunk and ignited the engine while Kel jumped into the passenger seat.

Kel heard her phone ring and moved to answer it, when she saw the number. It was Neal and she couldn't answer it. She sighed and tucked the phone back in safely in her purse.

"Well? Aren't' you going to answer it?" Dan asked while pulling out of the garage.

She shook her head. "Can't."

He frowned, "Why? Is it boy troubles?"

The edge of her lip quivered in an attempt at a smile. "No, nothing like that. Orders. No contact with anyone, remember?"

He nodded his head," Didn't you tell whoever was calling, though?"

"I did, he's just being a silly ass."

"Ah, it'll be like that for a while ya know. It took two or three months to get everyone to stop trying to call me. It's hard at first, unless you remind yourself that you'll talk to 'em again when the mission's over."

She nodded and looked at the glow of the snow from the moonlight. "Is it always like this?"

"What?"

"Is it always cold?"

"Always," he said while watching the white flurries of snow flakes drift slowly from the sky to the windshield of his Jeep. He sighed," Always."

**Alright, finished with that chapter. I've already finished chapter four and five, I just need to type it.**

**Next chapter, I'm going to thank everyone ).**

**redpheonix**


	4. A Girl and Her Dog

**I'm introducing a new character in this chapter, made entirely by moi. I hope you like the character; their purpose is to bring humor to my story. Enjoy!**

**Ch.4 A Girl and Her Dog**

Kel heaved her bag more firmly on her shoulder. They'd arrived at the apartment complex a minute or two ago. Dan's apartment was on the floor below and he was gathering files on the mission. They were going to meet in Kel's apartment in a few minutes. Kel read the numbers engraved in the gold plaques on the white doors. Her apartment was 14E and she was now passing 7E.

She rounded the corner and heard a loud, somewhat muffled voice, "DAMN!" Kel frowned, she didn't approve of cursing, but she slipped once in a while. She trekked down the hall and had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from giggling helplessly.

A young woman laid sprawled on her back. Two sacks of groceries lay on the floor next to her with the items running in all directions. A rather excited Great Dane was on top of her body, pinning her down helplessly and licking every inch of her face that he could. The woman was trying to shove the beast off, but he wouldn't move.

Kel walked slowly closer to the woman and her dog. She saw that the door was wide open and read 15E. This woman would be one of her neighbors. Kel grabbed the now rolling can of spaghetti sauce to prevent it from bounding down the hall.

The woman struggled one last time and then yelled at the top of her lungs, causing some to poke their heads out. "SARGE, IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR FAT ASS OFF ME, YOU WON'T EAT AT ALL FOR A WEEK! HEEL, YOU MONSTER!"

Instantly the dog named Sarge rolled of his owner and sat on his haunches, squishing a loaf of bread.

The woman stood up and brushed her navy jeans of dirt. She wore a cardinal blue sweatshirt that was too big for her and obviously didn't belong to her. She wore a black pair of converse shoes on slender feet. The hood to her sweatshirt was pulled up over her long straight layered locks of auburn hair that reached down to the middle of her back. Kel caught a glimpse of her face. Her face was thin with freckles everywhere. The woman even had freckles on her eyelids and lips. Her bottom lip was fuller than her top and her eyes were amber brown that reflected her hair in the light. Strangely, her eyebrows were black, but Kel was certain this woman never dyed her hair. Her eyebrows were thin and arched; you'd only notice the difference in color if you were right up in her face.

The woman knelt and began piling groceries back in the two large grocery sacks. She was so immersed in her grocery packing she didn't notice Kel watching her. She was now muttering under her breath, Kel tried desperately to hear and it sounded like, "Spaghetti sauce, I know I bought it."

Kel stepped forward and cleared her throat, "Here's your spaghetti sauce."

The woman whirled around and Kel found herself shocked, this woman was taller than her. Sure, it was only an inch, but the only woman that had ever been taller than her was her mother.

The woman scratched the back of her neck, "Thanks, ugh, sorry I can't remember your name. Please don't be offended, it's just I'm always at work or being dragged around by that lard," she said pointing at Sarge.

Kel smiled while handing the woman her spaghetti sauce. "I just got here and I've never been here before. I'm 14E."

The woman sighed and held out her hand, "Thank God, you would have been the third person this week that helped me and I couldn't remember their name. I'm Elizabeth Scott. But please, call me Liz, Elizabeth's dreadful."

Kel shook Liz's hand, "I'm Kelly Young."

Liz nodded her head. "What brings you here Kelly?"

"New job," said Kel while dropping her bag on the floor in front of her apartment door.

"What is it? You're job I mean," said Liz while patting Sarge on the head.

"I'm a Nuclear Engineer, I just got hired by Scanra, but I went to college in Tortall."

Liz beamed at her, "I'm a Nuclear Engineer as well…" she was about to continue when she heard footsteps further down the hall. She frowned, "Everyone's asleep by now." Sarge's ears perked up and he stood ready to pounce.

Kel held her breath till she saw Dan whistling with a large pile of manila folders.

To her surprise, Liz burst out laughing at Dan. And he laughed at her. What was going on?

Liz ran over to Dan, and…hugged him tightly. Kel felt like she was intruding, especially when Liz punched Dan in the shoulder.

He laughed, while rubbing his shoulder. "I thought you were in a different apartment complex."

She shook her head, "Nope, been here the past six months. When did you get here?"

"Last week, I'm the floor below here."

She frowned, "How could I not have seen you? How could Sarge not have smelled you?"

"I've only been here to sleep. Other than that, I've been learning roads, ya know the usual."

She nodded and dragged him over to Kel, who was more confused than ever. She turned to Kel, "Kelly this is Dom."

Dan, or Dom, elbowed Liz in the ribs. Her eyes widened and she gasped for air while clutching her side.

Dan smiled sheepishly and held up his manila folders. "There's more, but this is all I could carry without losing any..." he stopped. Liz had recovered and thwacked him hard on the back of his head.

"She's allowed to know, you know, you are partners and we all will be working together. Kelly," she started while backing away from Dan, "this is my old friend from the academy, Domitan Masbolle. Dom. His cover name as you know is Dan Roberts. My cover name is Elizabeth Scott, but I'm really Elizabeth Peterson. And your cover name is Kelly Young. Yes, I know, I've talked with Commander Wyldon this morning. I had no idea you'd be arriving this week though. And your real name is Keladry Mindelan."

Kel's eyes widened, "I had no idea there'd be others except for Dan, or Dom."

She smiled, "You both will be joining my Engineering Team. I'm the leader," she said proudly, "tomorrow you both will meet the rest of our team. They're all agents as well, the rest of the lot are in the next apartment complex. It's in walking distance."

Kel nodded. "Now, Dom you can show me your information and we'll let Kel go and sleep. She needs it. No offense or anything."

Kel smiled, "Thanks." She saluted to the two and grabbed her bag while unlocking her apartment.

She sighed while throwing her bag in the bedroom. It was an average sized bedroom. In fact, the whole apartment was average sized, but Kel like it. She took off her sneakers and fell onto the red satin covers. She nestled her head on the throw pillows and let the black oblivion of sleep envelope her. Tomorrow would be a big day.

**Ok, that chapter's done. I just have to type chapter five now. **

**I would like to thank the following for giving me nice reviews and reading my fic:**

**SarahE7191-thanks for the reviews. I don't think I'm going to make it a Cleon one, because I'm not very fond of him to put it nicely. Now that I think about it, most definitely not Cleon. I'm thinking of making it Kel/Joren because I like the pairing. Oh, and I hope this chapter answered your question on who Dan was. I can see how you didn't figure out who he was because I wasn't very descriptive.**

**LandUnderWave-thanks for the reviews**

**klutzyspaz- thanks to your review I actually didn't delete this fic, I was about five minutes from deleting it**

**The Awkward One-thanks for the review**

**I already wrote chapter five, it's going to take me awhile to type it, it's 16 pages! and I'm taking advantage of my Sunday. Keep reading and I'll keep writing.**

**redpheonix**

**p.s.- I just did spell check and it told me the reading level was 4.8, that was a low blow to my self esteem.**


	5. The Dream Team

**Ok, after typing this I think I just might pass out. You'll be introduced to three more characters in this chapter, each belong to the Tamora Pierce books but with a little change in character on my part. You better enjoy it, my hand STILL hurts and my vision is starting to get blurry from staring at the computer after typing those last two chapters. READ!**

**Ch.5 The Dream Team**

Kel felt a prodding in her back and groaned. All she wanted to do was sleep. The prodding slowly began more violent till it was practically a slap on her back. The person stopped and Kel could hear the running of water and clinking of glasses. She ignored it till she felt something cold and wet dripping down her back.

She turned around and saw Liz holding an empty glass, and for some reason wearing sunglasses that covered half of her freckled face. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "How did you get in here?"

"I have a key," she answered while setting the glass on the nightstand and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, uhm, why?"

Liz laughed, "For occasions like this. Now get up, shower, change, and then eat. I'll be in your living room, watching cartoons if you don't mind."

Kel shook her head, "I don't mind."

"Good, because I was going to anyway. Now hurry up and get squeaky clean," she snickered while leaving the room and turning on the TV.

Kel couldn't believe it, this woman watched cartoons! She knew only one other person who enjoyed this activity and shook her head, if Neal knew than he'd start going on about how he's not childish at all.

After showering, drying her hair, brushing her teeth, and washing her face, Kel pulled her hair back in a pony tail. She now wore black sweat pants and a long sleeved white shirt under her red hooded sweatshirt. She left her bedroom and entered the living room to find Liz rolling on the black leather sofa in a fit of giggles.

She looked up at Kel and turned the TV off. "Eat and we'll leave."

Kel grabbed a granola bar from her already stocked pantry, thanks to Liz, and began munching. She looked over at Liz. She wore her auburn hair in two long braids. She wore jean capris revealing slender freckled legs. Her black converse shoes were completely visible and she wore a brown over the shoulder sweater. Once again, Kel found herself wondering why she wore sunglasses.

Liz noticed her staring at her glasses and took them off, revealing large bags under her amber eyes that were practically slits now. "It's not pretty, is it? They'll look normal once I'm really awake. Come on, let's go."

Kel followed Liz and locked the door. They went down to the main lobby and walked towards a very cheery and very awake Dom, or Dan. "Dan," Liz said while slumping into a chair and her head dropping against the table, she'd fallen asleep.

Dom shook his head, and whispered in her ear. Whatever he said jerked the young woman awake, clutching at her purse. She looked around and removed her sunglasses, revealing a no longer baggy eyed woman who was wide awake. She placed her glasses in her purse and drummed her fingers on the table, as if nothing happened.

"I see you're awake now," he said while smirking.

She snorted, "I've been awake what are _you _talking about _Dan_?"

He rolled his eyes, "Well? Aren't we going to meet the others?"

She bolted up from her chair, knocking it over and almost knocking the table over. She kept walking, not looking back and speeding into a quicker pace. Kel and Dom exchanged glances. "She can be……. dramatic at times. We have to hurry or we'll never catch up." He took off running after setting the chair upright.

Kel blinked and stared at the spots, where moments ago her fellow Officers had sat in. She shook her head and dashed after both Dom and Liz.

She could see his figure some yards ahead and followed him at a steady pace. He stopped minutes later in front of a ten story red bricked building with various lights on and off. There were long wide steps that led up to the entrance and he leaned against the railing to regulate his breathing. Kel blinked. Liz sat on the concrete steps, no sign that she had been running at all. She scratched the back of her neck and flicked her eyes between the two. "Sorry, I just, well, I had the urge to run and well, I just did." She looked away embarrassed by her behavior.

Dom laughed and Kel shook her head. She had much to learn about the girl, but she knew she'd have fun the entire time. There was something about her that made everyone feel excited in her presence. It seemed that she wanted to have fun in everything she did. She did have a temper, but Kel noticed when she was yelling at Sarge that her eyes twinkled in amusement. Her temper was close to the surface, but she was always the first to laugh and found amusement in most things. Kel smiled, she liked Liz, and realized she'd finally end up having a close friend that wasn't of the opposite sex.

Liz stood and stretched causing all sorts of bones to creek and pop. She grabbed both of their arms and dragged them through the apartment complex. She turned her head while speed walking, "They're all on the same floor and their rooms are next to each others. We're meeting in Lerant's apartment." Dom smiled, Kel had a feeling this would be a reunion of old friends, she'd never felt more green. She found herself replaying scenes of her with Neal, Merric, Owen, and Cleon during their academy days. It was then she realized that she missed them more than her family. She fought back the guilt while waiting patiently in the elevator.

Liz switched her weight from foot to foot, the picture of impatience. She pushed the eighth floor button over and over again, practically punching the side of the elevator. She pressed it once again and her eyes widened when the plastic eight cover fell off to the floor. She looked down at and blinked. She didn't move her head but looked at the other two out of the corner of her eye. Dom's shoulders were heaving with suppressed laughter and Kel was squeezing her hands behind her back to calm herself down. Liz blinked again and cleared her throat as the elevator doors finally swung open onto the eighth floor. "This never happened," she said out of the side of her mouth and took a wide stride out of the elevator.

Both Kel and Dom waited till she turned the corner before they erupted into fits of laughter. Dom shook his head and said between breaths," She….hasn't….changed…..one….bit…..that's…..what…..I….love……about her….You…..can….depend….on….her…..to….act like…Liz."

Kel smiled, "I guess I'll be hearing about other incidents like that sometime soon."

He grinned showing his dimples, "You can expect to hear one of those stories everyday till the mission is over and after that. There's so many of them. We better hurry before she starts yelling at us."

Kel nodded and followed the distant red down the hall. She did not want to anger Liz. She had a feeling it could get really ugly.

The two found Liz leaning against the wall beside apartment 8G, waiting for them to come. She looked up when they arrived. "He has to put clothes on, I don't know why he sleeps in the nude, and the others are watching TV, come on." She opened the door to reveal two men clad in jeans and sweatshirts on a plaid couch. One was red and the other was black.

The man in the red had raven black hair and brown eyes. His hair was messy and he had a firm chin and jaw line. Kel felt her heart flutter, why did all of the TPD Officers have to be so handsome? The next man had pale blond hair and icy blue eyes. He looked like he could have been an angel even if he was wearing black. His hair flopped into his eyes with any movement.

The man in the red sweatshirt jumped up and hugged Liz. He picked her up and twirled her around. She fought to stand up after he put her down and Kel had to grab her shoulders to keep her from falling onto the carpet.

Then the man clapped Dom on the back. "I see they plucked us all away from the Copper Isles."

Dom chuckled, "They added a few to this mess," he said while nodding towards Kel. "Officer Keladry Mindelan of Corus meet Officer Wolset Hooper of Corus as well. Kel's cover name is Kelly Young and Wolset's cover name is William Smith."

Wolset held his hand out to her and she shook it, "Welcome to the Dream Team Kel." Dom and Liz sniggered behind them. Wolset pointed to the man on the couch who rolled his eyes. "And that Kel is the worst excuse for a friend I've ever met. He's only good for comfortable silence and surprisingly food. That's Officer Joren StoneMountain of Corus as well. His cover name is Jordan Stone, that was probably the easiest for Old Wyldon to cough up."

Joren moved his eyes from Wolset to Kel and they locked eyes for a brief moment, then he looked back at Wolset. "You know, you're not that great of a friend either Wolsie."

"Oh?" Wolset arched his left brow. "And, Joren, what makes you say that?"

"You eat all of the good food," he answered and nodded at Dom and Liz to acknowledge their presence.

"Officer Keladry Mindelan, meet Officer Lerant Clyde," Wolset announced as a young man with tousled dirty blond hair came out of the bedroom.

"Welcome to the Dream Team Keladry," Lerant smiled.

"Wolset already said that, and she goes by Kel," said Dom from the doorway.

"Right, well, what now?" he asked. All eyes turned to Liz, who looked at her stopwatch. She waited for it to change to eleven o'clock exactly.

"We FEAST!" she bellowed out. "Put some shoes on, we're going to Olive Garden."

The three men rushed in the room looking for socks and shoes while Kel, Liz, and Dom waited. Liz took the keys off the kitchen counter and yelled above the clatter, "We're going to the parking lot, I have the keys, and I'll be driving!"

She led them to a black jeep hummer. She stroked the side of it fondly and jumped with excitement. "He NEVER lets me drive this baby!"

Dom leaned against the back of the car and looked over at Kel. "Once they get down here, Lerant'll have a fit and most likely cause her to fight for the keys. This'll be good."

Kel smiled and waited patiently for the other members of the Dream Team to arrive. She could hear heavy footsteps and knew they were running. She looked over at Liz who was in the driver's seat, running her hand over the leather interior fondly. She had no idea what was coming, and Kel found that she didn't either.

**Ok, I finished that chapter. I'm going to write chapter six tonight and type it tomorrow after school.**

**redpheonix**


	6. The One Almost Fatal Mistake

**Hello again readers, I just read my profile (don't ask me why) and it says "and pre-ap world geography the hardest class I've ever had in my entire laugh**

**I read it and I couldn't help but laugh, my typos always end up being very…random because my mind tends to wonder. And now I'm still laughing and all of the members of my family think I'm insane, but I think they already did. And no, I'm not going to fix my typo because I find it highly amusing.**

**Alright, I'm still not sure about whether I'm going to do a Kel/Dom or Kel/Joren, so I'm going to do some little fluff here and there and LOADS of action in this chapter, because the other chapters were just to introduce everyone and set the scene, ya know kind of like the first fifteen minutes of your average movie. Now we're getting to the good stuff. READ!**

**Ch.6 One Almost Fatal Mistake**

Kel looked around Lerant's hummer. She was currently in the back with Liz, who was attempting to apply "war paint" on her cheeks while looking in the rearview mirror. Wolset sat in the middle with Joren, both chattering under their breath in their own conversation. Dom sat in the passenger seat, steeling glances at the occupants in the back through the side mirror. Lerant was driving with a scowl on his face, he had NOT wanted to use his 'baby' for their first task. He had only been influenced to do so by an enraged Liz who led him off to her room so the others couldn't hear. But everyone still could hear it down the hall and outside the apartment complex. Liz had threatened to not only demote him but cut his manhood off herself. Kel smiled as she remembered the day last week. When both arrived back in Kel's apartment, Lerant was blushing violently and chose to stand behind Joren the rest of the day. Joren was the only one that Liz tended to back away from Kel noticed, she could tell something had happened a long time ago, that made even her afraid to yell at him. Liz came back with her hair frizzy, jaw and fists clenched, her skin red all over, and practically had steam flowing from her ears. Dom had been forced to calm her down and needed the help of Kel as well. It ended up taking the entire night to get her to stop her ranting, and Lerant and Liz only talked to each other when _The Plan _was involved. They still didn't talk to each other, but Kel knew the two would come around; they had been best friends since they'd joined the academy.

It had been exactly six weeks since Kel entered Scanra and found herself among this group. She'd made fast friends with all of them, except for Joren. He kept to himself. At first Kel thought that he hated her and tried desperately to figure out why from the others. But after those first few days Kel found that the others tended to stay as far away as they could from him as did Joren. The only person he'd actually have a conversation with was Wolset, and strangely somehow over the years of working together they formed a friendship. Kel had no idea why Wolset was friends with Joren, but it was none of her business really. She did find it amusing though that on many occasions Wolset would end up apologizing for Joren's behavior and making lame excuses.

Kel turned her head and watched Liz, who at the moment had her head sticking out the window looking similar to a dog, and trying vainly to apply black lines under her eyes with her black lipstick. Kel sighed and pulled her back in. "I almost had it!" she whined.

Kel rolled her eyes, "You and me both know perfectly well that you're never going to get it the way you like it. And you're going to end up jabbing yourself in the eye with that if we go over a pothole."

Liz folded her arms across her chest and pouted, "And what do you propose I do _Mother_?" The entire Dream Team had taken to calling Kel Mother after finding that if they left their kitchen dirty long enough she'd eventually just start cleaning it out of disgust. Kel cooked for Dom and Liz after noticing that Liz began to leave everything out in the kitchen and would smile sweetly whenever she arrived at her apartment. Kel found it easier to feed everyone and clean rather than going from apartment to apartment.

"I propose that you let me do it for you," Kel said while looking Liz directly in the eye.

Liz glared at her and handed over the lipstick. Kel carefully applied two lines under Liz's amber eyes. She was about to put the lipstick back in her pocket, since it really was hers and Liz seemed to have _found _it when she felt pressure on her wrist. She looked up and saw a slender freckled hand squeezing her own wrist. She up at Liz's face, which was just staring at her and smiling so sweetly, she reminded Kel somewhat of the devil in female form. Kel eventually had to let go and Liz grabbed for the tube when it dropped out of her hand. She held it up in front of Kel's face and shook her wrist. "Uhn, uhn, uhn, it's your turn first."

Kel's eyes widened, "No, Liz, don't please." But it was too late; Liz already opened the tube of lipstick and was now making two lines under her hazel eyes. She sighed, "You're exactly like Neal."

Liz looked up in thought while closing the lipstick and pocketing it. She rubbed her chin and jumped when she came to a conclusion. "Neal? Your best friend, right? The one you said joined the academy five years later than usual after dropping out of the university."

Kel nodded, "He wanted to become a doctor, but then he changed his mind."

"Hmm, kind of different don't you think, I mean the two occupations. If he was a doctor, he'd most likely be living the life right now. I wish I was a doctor, but only for the money, I couldn't stand cutting people up, it would be like cutting myself up."

A snort came from the middle row, and Kel knew it was Joren. Liz blinked and waited for his retort, but none came, Kel could see that Wolset was restraining him from doing so. She scowled and sat forward in her seat, front to front back to back. (AN: That's what my middle school bus driver said everyday, morning, and evenings.)

Lerant slowed the car down, and Kel could tell that they were arriving at the University. He rolled down the window and punched in the numbers that only students, teachers, and scientists knew. The gate unlocked and opened, allowing them to pass through. He drummed his fingers absently, and looked in the rearview mirror. He looked at Liz, but not directly in the eye. His voice was quiet, and Kel could her fear and sadness in his voice. "Liz?" she looked up and snorted his cue to continue. "Are you ready?"

"Are you ready?" she asked staring at the freckles on her nose.

Kel could see his Adam's apple bob up and down. "Yes, Kel are you ready?"

Kel looked up, "Yes."

"Is everyone ready?" Lerant asked. The rest of the group grunted in response, all except Joren who snorted and waited for the car to slow down.

"Alright, well, um, we're here," Lerant said while parking and turning the ignition off.

Lerant and Liz were to stay behind. Lerant would stay in the driver's seat waiting for them to come back so they could speed away. Liz brought her lab top. The last Friday at "work" Wolset had added their own cameras throughout the university during his lunch break. She was going to be watching the halls for guards and late workers, while commanding them from her handset. She could speak with each of them but only one at a time.

Joren and Wolset would be breaking into the security system and acting as backup while Dom and Kel entered the labs to do "research." They would copy all of the files of the other scientists onto a floppy and send it back to Tortall.

Kel leaned over to Liz and whispered in her ear, "Are you sure you're alright with being here alone with Lerant."

Liz smiled, "Thanks for your concern Kel, but we always have our fights. It's my fault anyways, he's……angry that I have control over him. He thinks I'm using him." Kel nodded. "We'll kiss and make up soon. I know you hate drama Kel."

Kel squeezed her shoulder and followed the others out into the quiet night. Wolset and Joren led the way, leaving Kel alone with Dom.

Kel looked over at Dom. He wore a black beanie over his hair, causing the ends to flip out. His blue eyes twinkled in excitement, and she could barely see him, for he blended into the night wearing black sweatpants and sweatshirt. They all wore the same clothing. He smiled and Kel could barely see his dimples in the moonlight. "I see Liz got you?"

"What?" Kel asked confused.

He smirked, "She put her 'war paint' on you as well. She'd always put it on when we would sneak snacks from the kitchen in the academy."

Kel smiled and looked back at the van, she could see Lerant eyeing Liz uncertainly while Liz had her hands behind her head as a pillow, her long legs stretched onto the dashboard, crossed, and her lab top propped onto her lap. She could tell Liz was holding her breath, the lab top wasn't moving up and down with each lungful like it had moments ago.

"Shall we?" asked Dom gesturing to the university, and pretending to tip his beanie like a bowler hat.

She nodded and they walked cautiously, each holding out their pistols in front of them and being careful to not step into the snow. Wolset held the door open for them and was waving his arms violently for them to hurry up.

They entered the University and Kel could see Joren ahead, turning off a security camera. Wolset walked in the shadows up ahead and began working on the next camera. Dom leaned against the wall beside the entrance and twirled his pistol in boredom.

Kel sat on the floor beside him and winced, it was freezing. Dom slid down the wall till he was seated beside her with his legs folded up to his chest. He rested his hand on his knees and looked up a minute later. "Kel?"

Kel turned her head and met his dark ocean blue eyes. "Yeah?" she whispered.

"What's it like now?"

She frowned, "What is what like now?"

"Home, Tortall, the academy," he said with such longing she felt her heart wrench.

"Do you not remember?" she asked her eyes softening.

"Some things. But I'm forgetting. So much happened in the Copper Isles it feels like I was there ten years ago instead of three. What's it like, you were there just a couple months ago."

She sighed, "It's always sunny, I can still feel the heat on my face. I'd always wear shorts and a tank top. Sometimes I'd even run barefoot with Neal and the boys to the lake. Of course, they always tricked me into it, they'd steel my shoes. And when it rained, it was always the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. The petal would collect each raindrop. And even if it was thundering, I was never scared, not once. The thunder was actually comforting, not frightening. And there was always something to do, even if it was just going on a walk with a friend," she inhaled remembering the scents of home. "Lavender, my dorm always smelled like lavender. The boys would always come and muck it up, but you could always smell it, even if it was feint."

She looked over at Dom, he breathed in deeply, "I can smell it."

"Smell what?" she asked looking around.

"I can smell lavender," he opened his eyes and inhaled again. He scooted closer to Kel, and she could feel him breathing on her neck. He inhaled again, Kel felt like he was a wolf and she was his prey. It wasn't frightening at all, it was exhilarating. "You smell like lavender," he said his voice husky. He breathed her scent in again, "definitely you, definitely lavender." She could fell his eyelashes blink against her temple. "You smell good. Maybe you were always smelling yourself," he chuckled lightly under his breath. He inhaled a shaky breath and leaned back against the wall. "We should go, they probably made it in by now," he said while getting up. He walked at a steady pace leaving Kel behind; he glanced at her while rounding the corner and continued on his way.

Kel swallowed and blinked her eyes. She could still see those damn ocean blue eyes wherever she looked. She shook her head, she was going insane. She got up and lost her balance, almost tripping over herself. She followed Dom cautiously down the hall.

Liz sighed and stool a glance at Lerant. Just her luck, he had chanced a glance at her as well. She looked away instantly pretending to find the emergency break fascinating. She looked back down at the computer and changed cameras, showing Wolset hacking his way through the alarm. Joren was behind him, whispering suggestions into his ear and every once in a while taking the pliers and doing the task himself.

She cleared her throat and tapped her fingers. She HATED silence as well as waiting and watching. She huffed and turned on her side so she was directly facing Lerant. "Listen, I was stupid, ok? I was just angry, and…" She never finished, Lerant had turned his head quickly and pressed his lips onto hers fervently, hungrily.

Liz gasped and broke the kiss.

She backed up as far away as possible till her back was being pressed firmly by the door handle. She dropped her lab top, causing it to break and drop to the floor board. Her head set jerked out of her ear as the lab top fell to the floor.

Her jaw quivered and her eyes wide, tears waiting to fall. She couldn't believe what just happened. Her friend, her best friend, Lerant had kissed her. She couldn't deal with this now, her mind panicked and she flung the door open behind her. She fell onto the pavement, but ignored the pain and walked backwards on her hands and legs. Lerant jumped into the passenger seat his eyes wide as wide with panic and instead of tears of fright swelling in his eyes, he felt tears of heartbreak. "Liz!" his voice croaked.

She stood and backed away from the car, tears running down her cheeks mixing with her war paint causing the black lipstick to smear down her face. "I can't do this," she whispered and took off running full speed from the parking lot ignoring all of Lerant's shouts.

She ran without stopping for two miles till she reached a bus stop and heaved herself atop the bench. Her tears were now flooding down her face. Why had he done it then? Why did he have to ruin their friendship? Why did he have to ruin the mission? Why couldn't he just ignore it and wait for it to pass? But she knew why and it tore her heart in two just thinking about it. It was because he loved her.

Kel lowered her head so she was staring at the computer screen and not having to feel Dom's eyes on her. They'd copied all of the scientist's information, and were now on the last two, Dom on one and she on the other. She could hear Dom clear his throat and looked up. "Don't you find it strange that Liz hasn't talked to us once?"

She frowned, Liz hadn't called once. She could sense it, something was up. "We just press the button on the back of the ear pierce and we can talk to her right?" He nodded a sign for her to try. She flipped the switch, "Liz? Lerant? Is anyone there?" All she could hear was static, either something was wrong with the connection, or, she gulped, something had happened to them. She looked at Dom with worry, "There's just….static."

Dom popped his head back up after collecting the floppy disk. She heard the click of his head set, "Liz? Lerant? Anybody?" His face was grim, "All I got was static. Do you have your disk?"

She pulled it out and shut down the computer. She ran over to him, "Something's up, I can sense it."

Joren was tired of arguing with Wolset, what was the problem with sneaking a glance at the other rooms? "I still don't see what you're problem is with this?" he drawled while looking back at Wolset.

"You're not following orders."

"Since when have you been obeying everything Liz say?" his right eyebrow shot up.

"Since she exploded at me the last time, remember when I stool the necklace from the museum. I thought Chris would like it." He shuddered at the memory; Liz had been holding a knife and cutting the Velveeta for nachos for their party. When she heard that he stole the necklace from the tomb, she chucked the knife at him, pinning his shirt sleeve into the wall. She then ran at him, screaming and yelling, and basically making him feel like crap.

Joren smiled, "All that for some stupid slut who cheated on you."

Wolset scowled, "I told you to never speak of her again."

Joren smirked, "You brought her up first."

Wolset sighed, "Pick a fight with someone else when we get back. If you really want to go in another room call Liz, she didn't seem too uptight today."

"Fine," Joren said while clicking the headset on. He smirked, "Red Fox are you there?" Wolset had invented code names for all of them during the first weeks they were in the Copper Isles. He frowned, no one was responding and there was just….static.

"Well? Hurry up and tell her our... predicament."

"There's static, what do you think happened?"

"WHAT!" roared Wolset. Joren clapped a hand to his mouth, but it was too late.

"You dumbass there's a guard headed our way, and this more of them too," he said squinting into the distance.

Wolset's eyes widened and he burst into the research room, bumping into both Dom and Liz. He took Kel's forearm and dragged her along at top speed. She tried to jerk free, but allowed him to pull her along when she heard the shouts of the guards. She could hear a muttering behind her and turned her head. Dom was muttering something under his breath that sounded like, "Crap, crap, crap."

She shook her head and followed Joren and Wolset. They were now out of the doors and bolting toward the Hummer. Joren stopped, causing Wolset to crash into him and onto the floor. Kel's jaw dropped open. The passenger door was wide open and she could see the lab top broken in half hanging off the floorboard. She walked around the car on the other side looking for any hint of what might have happened and found Lerant, his head in his hands and his chest heaving. He looked up at her and winced.

"We have to go! Get in the car." she said while Joren piled into the driver's seat. Dom and Wolset pulled Lerant with them into the middle row, Kel ran to the side and plopped down into the passenger seat, pulling the remains of the lab top inside.

Joren turned the engine on and the tires screeched as he back up, Kel winced as she heard a guard patrol car coming around the corner. Joren shifted gears and drove through the security car, worrying more about his hide then the car.

He looked in the rearview mirror at Lerant, "What happened?"

Lerant shook his head and Kel could see Dom and Wolset trying to comfort him. She turned her attention back to Joren. "Where's Liz, we can't leave without her."

"It doesn't matter, she's GONE!" Lerant roared and put his head back in his hands.

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Wolset whispered and Lerant sobbed louder. "Tell me, we need to know."

"It's my fault, I won't tell you anymore. She's probably dead or kidnapped and it's all my damn fault."

Kel looked back and frowned. What could have possibly happened? Her head smacked into the window as Joren turned sharply to the left. He gritted his teeth, "They're still following us."

The siren to the guard patrol car wailed, and Kel flew forward in her seat with the extra momentum caused from Joren slamming on the gas. They could hear the megaphone behind them, "Pull over now, or we'll have to use force."

"Hell no!" Joren muttered under his breath and turned into an alley. A bullet was fired towards their direction and Joren zoomed into the other lane, the bullet just chipping off the side mirror. His eyes widened and he exchanged glances with Kel before turning down another road.

More bullets were fired, Joren missing each by a hair. Suddenly, the siren stopped and they all heard the crush of metal against road. Kel looked in the side mirror. The patrol car had turned to sharply, even though they were going straight, and flipped. She could hear Dom laughing in the background out of relief and Joren's shaky sigh. For now, they had dodged them, but she knew they'd call for back up.

Liz perked her head up, she could hear the screeching of tires against the pavement. She glanced down the road and could see a black Hummer, almost unseen in the night sky. There were blue and red flashes of light behind it followed by a wailing siren. She jumped off the bench and looked around to make sure that no one was out. She removed her pistol from her belt and held her index finger lightly against the trigger, waiting. Adrenaline surged through her veins. The hummer would be here in 5…4…..3…..2…..1… The hummer whooshed by her, causing her hair to flip. She held the pistol out, and fired at the back wheel of the patrol car.

The car swerved into the middle of the road, facing the wrong way and flipped onto its back. Liz waited in the shadows, she could smell the oil leaking from the car and frowned in distaste. She was about to run, when the patrol car burst into flames, her eyes widened, she had meant for that to happen. She stood still in her spot, she wouldn't be able to save them, and they were going to die all because of her.

She heard the wailing of another car, and stood rooted to the spot. She couldn't get her damn legs to move, what was wrong with her?

The car screeched to a stop and she could hear them calling for back up. One of the men saw her, and she fired at the wheel, leaving them rooted to the spot. She fired again at the radio, it was in her clear vision. The man began running towards her, and she found her legs finally free from the spot.

She dashed with new energy from the adrenaline and excitement of the chase. She could hear the man yelling, "Stop or I'll be forced to shoot!"

She turned around and shot, aiming for his ankle, but it missed, he'd moved out of the way at just the right time. She turned back forward, glancing back every so often.

She was about to turn into an alley way when she felt a sharp pinch in her leg, right in her calf muscle. The man had shot in the leg. She collapsed to her knees on the road. She threw her sweatshirt off hurriedly and wrapped it around her leg. She could hear him coming and dodged into the trash dumpster, biting her lower lip to keep herself from screaming in pain.

**HA! You're going to have to wait to find out what will happen. I'm still torn between making this a Kel/Dom fic or a Kel/Joren fic. I'm not sure what to do.**

**Hopefully, I'll figure out soon so I can put some fluff in here.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**redpheonix**


	7. The Traitor that lost herself

**I would have updated sooner, because I wrote this chapter, but I read it over and was about to type it and in my opinion it was crap, so I decided to start over. Sorry this chapter its short, but I need it to be. If you don't enjoy foul language, then imagine a bleep in your head for every time Liz ends up cursing which is a lot in this chapter. And, yes, you find out what happens to her, in a way. MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Ok, read and review, please!**

**Ch.7 The Traitor that lost herself**

Joren slammed on the brakes outside of Lerant, Wolset, and his apartment. They'd quickly grab the essentials and get out of there as fast as they could through the night. Kel sat in the hummer with Dom, while the three went to retrieve their things. She'd never felt more bewildered before, in all of the short missions she'd had, none of them had ended up like this. None of them had ended up with a member gone missing, and to Kel, Liz was the last person that would let herself get kidnapped, so she scratched that possibility out. She could tell Dom was thinking the same thing through, Liz would never run from a mission, she'd never commit treason to her beloved country of Tortall. But little did they know that she actually had no matter how they put it. And if they ever did find her, she'd most likely be fired from her job.

"I don't get it, why won't Lerant say what happened? Maybe, she just went to look at something that was suspicious and we ended up leaving her behind," Kel voiced her thoughts to Dom.

He shook his head, "She wouldn't leave without calling someone for back up, or without telling us. What's bothering me is what happened to the lab top."

Kel gaped at Dom, "You're not worried about Liz?"

He shrugged, "She is one of my closest friends, but she can definitely take care of herself. You've never seen her take action in a situation before, have you?"

"We haven't been doing much of anything, except copying files and sending them to Wyldon."

He nodded, "But why did the lab top break, what caused it to break? Where did she go? She couldn't have gotten that far, she has to be close by. I know she's somewhere close, and I don't like leaving her behind, but we have to; after all, I think she left us."

"You mean, you think she committed treason," Kel stated, appalled at what he was saying.

"I don't just think it, I know she did, there were no wounds, no evidence of her being hurt. I'm sure that she had a good reason, but that's just the part of me that's friends with her. Another part of me, the Officer part, thinks that whatever she did it was because of something stupid that could have been handled easily."

"She wouldn't, she hates traitors," Kel said.

"Then right now, she's hating herself more than ever for what she done," Dom said. He stopped his thoughts from puzzling Kel more, when he saw the three figures approaching at a hurried pace. "We can't talk about it anymore, they're coming, and Lerant will probably strangle me."

* * *

Liz shoved the trash bin top open and threw herself out onto the concrete. The man had passed the alley way, but she knew more patrol men would be coming, and she needed to get out of her. She tried pushing herself up with the help of a trash can beside the bin, but she was too heavy and it toppled over, making a clatter. She winced, and pulled out her pistol, ready for the patrol men to find her.

She leaned against the wall, holding her breath in as she heard hurried footsteps coming her way. She pressed herself more firmly against the wall, wishing she could become part of the bricks. Men and women in the Scanran red and black uniform of Officers ran by, none of them glancing her way. She thought none of them had seen her and there was no more coming, so she let out a shaky breath, and held herself up against the wall with a trembling hand. She was about to turn and limp her way down the alley when a women's voice entered her hearing, Liz scolded herself, why had this women not gone with her comrades who had left minutes ago. "Move and I'll shoot!" she pointed a revolver at Liz.

"It's a little late for that," Liz croaked, her voice going astray from dehydration.

"Why did you shoot the patrol car, you ended up killing two of our officers, they were trying to protect you, the civilian."

"Why didn't I?" Liz asked, her hand inching towards her belt, millimeter by millimeter.

"You filthy slut, answer my question, or I'll shoot," the woman said, anger blazing in her eyes.

"Ah, what a great way to get me to answer your pathetic questions. You result to common insult, because you feel inferior to me. Is that not so? Honestly, what are they teaching you officers at the Scanran academy, it seems like worthless bullshit to me, you're just a woman with a gun, and you think you're better than me because you think you're stronger."

"Silence! Answer my question, what are you doing..." she stopped as Liz jerked her gun up and fired at the woman's revolver, causing it to fall out of her hands, yards away.

"Idiot, you even asked me questions about shooting, and if it just happened some minutes ago, wouldn't I still have a gun on me? Hmm? You must think you're Queen of the world, sure you found me, but only because you're fat ass couldn't catch up with your fellow officers."

The woman's face blushed a deep red, and there was fright in her eyes. Liz pointed the gun at her, "Now, answer me this, how far away is it from here to the border, from her to Tortall?"

The woman closed her mouth firmly shut and pursed her lips. Liz was about to fire a shot, near her head, but not close enough to strike only close enough to add more fear, when someone beat her to it. She heard the fire of a gun, before she pulled her own trigger, and knew someone had just shot her.

She fell backwards from the force, and unbalance ensued from her already bullet wedged leg. She looked down; the person missed her chest and hit her shoulder. Blood was pouring down her chest and the stench reached her noise easily. She looked up and saw a man, holding a pistol and wearing the Scanran officer colors of black and red. He had a smug look on his face, he thought she was dying.

She couldn't help but laugh, and the two looked at her as if she'd just asked them to tea. "IDIOT! You're not supposed to shoot me; you're supposed to bring me in for questioning, and to hold me hostage, so my country will have to pay, that is if they want me. This is definitely going to help my case in proving that all Scanrans are imbeciles. And you didn't kill me, if you haven't already figured out. I guess I must have nine lives or something because this is the second time I've been shot in the last hour." She would have continued rambling on when she noticed that she was no longer holding her pistol. She had dropped it as a reflex in the nerves in her right arm, which were screeching in pain. Her eyes widened, she should have killed that lard of a woman when she could have.

The man's eyes narrowed at her, and she was about to try talking her way out of this, and plead insanity or a drug overdose when she felt her head become heavy, the feeling in her arms and legs became a fuzzy feeling similar to when your foot is asleep. She had to fight to keep her eyelids open, if they killed her, she wanted to remember their faces, so she could have her vengeance. But it was too hard, and dying began to seem alright at the moment, in fact it seemed almost pleasant, after all there'd be no pain. No pain, she smiled at the thought, for both her left leg and right shoulder were throbbing at the moment. "No pain," she whispered before her head thudded against the pavement. She began to lose her sight, everything became blurry and she had no clue whether they were opened or closed. She faintly heard a ringing in her ears, and lost herself in the pain and lightheadedness, wondering if the two shots she heard actually did happen or if this was the average noises you heard in heaven, or hell.

* * *

Kel heaved her bag in the trunk, the plush black fabric fading into the colors of the other four bags and the darkness of the night. Four, she thought, it should be five. She sighed and hopped into the front seat, beside a scowling Joren, after closing the trunk door.

"We have enough gas for around four hours, then we'll stop and call Wyldon for orders," Joren said taking command, he was the second-in-command and seeing that Liz couldn't make her usual bossy yet lighthearted orders he took control.

The others nodded and stared out into space, watching the empty road and becoming lost in thought. Kel became drowned in her thoughts of Liz, and what would happen to the burly Great Dane, that was at the moment sleeping lazily atop their luggage. She wanted desperately to shake Lerant, and kick him, and punch him to force the answers to her thousands of questions, but she breathed deeply and held her hands together to calm herself. That would just make matters worse, she thought angrily. She realized vaguely, while drifting off to sleep, that a few hours ago, Liz had sat beside her in the car applying war paint to her be freckled cheeks.

Kel awoke hours later, the smell of gasoline overfilling her nose. She wrinkled her delicate nose in disgust and turned around, finding Lerant, Wolset, and Dom all leaning their heads on one another's shoulders and snoring heavily.

She snorted, and longed for Liz to be her to pull a prank on the boys, all except Joren, Liz would never go near Joren. She sighed in frustration, now she'd never be able to figure out why they both acted like the other didn't exist till they were in a mission. And whenever she asked Dom, Lerant, or Wolset they all either bolted from the room with lame excuses or changed the subject to catch Kel off guard.

Joren entered the car a moment later, "I just talked with Commander Wyldon." He said in a very businesslike tone.

"And?" Kel asked impatiently while biting her lower lip.

"He's sending troops to look for her, they can't find her coordinates from the chip, something happened to it, he says it's' destroyed or has been removed. He's furious, we are to go back to HQ as soon as possible, he said we'll receive a new partner for Lerant and he'll send us all on another mission, since we are a squad."

Kel nodded, "He thinks she's dead doesn't he?"

He shrugged, "He said that she was as good as dead to him."

"What do you mean?"

"He said she either died or is still alive, but either way he's a traitor, he knows more than we do, he said if we do encounter her we're to take her to Tortall, she's being stripped of her title and job. He says he'll make sure she never works as an officer anywhere if she is alive. She won't be sent to jail or killed for treason, because she only abandoned us during a mission, but she still can't work in this field again."

Kel's eyes widened, a part of her wished Liz was dead, for when she found out about this predicament, she sure as hell would most likely end up killing herself or Commander Wyldon. This was not good news at all, and she felt angry with Liz for in a way abandoning her. She desperately wanted to be able to turn back time or at least know what was going through that crazy girls head that could have possibly made the idea of running away and committing treason a good idea.

She turned around in her sleep and glared at the sleeping Lerant, it seemed sleep was the only place where he could get peace. Whatever happened, she knew he had to do something about it, and she felt anger for this man for causing some personal strife within her first and only girlfriend. One thing was for certain, she was going to make it her goal once they got back to Tortall to find out everything that happened last night and to set things straight, hopefully she could get her friend's job back without losing her own.

**HA! I made another cliffy with Liz. I'm glad I rewrote this chapter it's much better than the other one and it definitely made the other chapter look like shit. Review and I'll update sooner, come on you know you want to.**

**Much love,**

**redpheonix**


	8. Fired

**I'm really really sorry about not updating sooner. But I had to study for the EOCTs (GAH!) and all of my teachers gave an overload on homework. Alright here's the next chapter. READ and then REVIEW, please I need to know if you like where this is going.**

**Ch. 8 Fired**

Liz opened her eyes slowly, unsure of how she could possibly be alive. 'Wait, I'm in hell aren't I?' she thought. She snorted, how could she not be? Hadn't she just killed two officers some hours ago only to save her friends?

Her eyes flew open and she became wide awake. Her amber eyes moved around warily. She looked down at herself. She wore a white hospital gown. 'Hospital gown, maybe this is what the occupants of heaven where, I can't be in a hospital.'

She heard the clinking of glasses and looked over. An old woman in a fading grey nurse uniform was pouring water into a glass. She frowned, was this some sort of test, was God giving her a second chance for the lives she'd taken over the years? She cleared her throat and instantly the nurse jumped.

"My," she said while her hand flying to her chest, "we didn't think you'd be up for a couple more days Miss."

Liz opened her mouth and tried to respond, questions bubbling to the surface of a battered brain. But she couldn't. She clutched at her throat, confused. What was going on?

"Your throats a little parched Miss; it's from sleeping for the past two days."

Her eyes widened, sure she didn't like to wake up early, but she'd never slept for two days straight. The nurse shoved the clear glass of water into her hands. Liz looked down confused, how could she trust this person, she didn't even know where the hell she was.

The woman nudged her arm and still Liz refused. She frowned, "You need to drink up Miss, or your throat will be sore for days."

Liz shook her head and clenched her lips tight, refusing to sip the water. The nurse grabbed her jaw and clenched it, waiting for Liz to open. Eventually Liz did, and the woman poured the icy water down her throat. Liz jumped, her insides squirmed from the chill and she was frightened to death of what the water could or could not be.

"There now, that wasn't so bad was it?"

Liz scowled and looked down; her hospital gown was completely covered by the blankets. She moved her arm to pull away the sheets and gave a silent, scratchy scream of pain. Her shoulder throbbed and she took a closer look at it. With the other hand she slowly slipped off the sleeve of the gown, she saw a bandaged shoulder, still not clotted fully as blood was making its way to the top of the bandages. She looked away as the stench met her nose, she didn't want to even look at her leg now.

The nurse's nose crinkled as she slowly removed the bandages on Liz's shoulder, the stench was obviously bothering her as well. Liz looked away once again as the bandages were removed. It was a disgusting sight. She had a hole in the dip her lower shoulder made where it met with the top of her chest. Blood still poured and she grimaced as she felt some trickle down her breast, she'd never felt more vile. The area around the hole was blue, the skin was losing its color from the loss of blood and as she looked at her arm, it was a deathly pale.

The nurse removed a vile from a cabinet at the other side of the room. Liz watched her through slitted eyes, and the realization dawned on her. The woman was going to clean the wound, and that was always the worse part.

Some moments later, Liz sat an even more deathly pale shade to her skin tone. Her bottom lip was bleeding from biting down so hard and her hand prints remained in the bed from where she'd clenched onto.

The woman finished wrapping the bandages on her shoulder and pulled back the covers, somewhat dramatically. Liz looked down at her calf; it was bandaged from below the knee to above her ankle. The nurse slowly lifted her leg and was welcomed with the unpleasant experience of watching a patient silently scream. Then she began to tenderly remove the bandages, making sure to avoid facial eye contact with Liz, so as not to wet herself from the frightening scene.

Liz looked down at her calf and found another hole, by now the smell was reaching her nose and she clutched her stomach that desperately wanted to vomit. It was yet another gruesome sight and she could faintly see the white of her bone through the lost tissue and skin. She turned her head and retched violently. The smell and sight finally getting to her.

The nurse wrinkled her nose after bandaging her leg up and looked down at the mess. She left the room, going or doing God knows what to leave Liz alone. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and chugged at the refill of icy water the nurse had given her some minutes before.

The door opened again and her amber eyes shot to the doorway. A tall burly man with curly black hair and piercing black eyes stood in the doorway. He looked to be in his early forties and wore a black uniform. Liz's eyes shot to the badge on his left arm; there was a ring of blue around the TPD insignia. Whoever he was, he was a Commander.

Liz frowned, what was he doing here? And why would he be so stupid to wear his uniform in Scanra?

"Sergeant Peterson," he said while saluting and striding over to the chair beside her bed. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"What could be worse than being shot twice?"

He grimaced while looking at her newly bandaged self and looked out the window sadly. They sat in silence for a few moments until he finally spoke again. "I'm Command Raoul, Commander of the Own." He held his hand out and shook her left hand, awkwardly.

"I've heard about the Own, never seen a member or spoken with one, but I've heard."

He nodded, "I have news for you from Commander Wyldon."

Her amber eyes met his piercing black. This time he met her eyes, squirming under her stare. "Your position as a Sergeant has been removed. You no longer work for the Tortall Police Department. You can never work for the TPD every again in any way, shape, or form. Once you heal completely, we're sending you to Conte."

* * *

Kel sat, exhausted and smelly in a plush chair before Commander Wyldon. He scowled at her, then at each of the squad in turn. "This mission was to run smoothly, I would never have thought something like this could happen from my top officers."

Lerant blushed a deeper crimson then all of them and looked down at his hands, eyes boring into his finger nails. Commander Wyldon seemed to take notice of this. "Officer Lerant, would you mind telling me what happened?"

Lerant looked up slowly, pretending to look at his Commander but not meeting the stumps eyes. He gulped and his speech slurred and croaked. "If you really want to know sir. But- but could the others leave?"

Kel scowled while the others frowned. She desperately wanted to know what happened and now she was losing her chance.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of your squad, Officer."

Lerant sighed, "Yes, sir."

He looked around the room until he met a spot where he couldn't really see their full reactions. "Dom, Joren, Wolset, and Kel had already left and were inside the University."

The Stump nodded while leaning forward. This made Lerant lean backwards. "Li-li," he stuttered. He stopped and inhaled deeply, he couldn't say her name. "She and I had been having an argument for the past week. It was stupid really, I just didn't want her to drive the hummer, she'd crash or something, you know how she is. That's why at the academy, you ended up paying for her bus fair and taxis just so she wouldn't die from casualty."

"You're rambling Officer," the Stump voiced, low in his throat he was angry.

"She was apologizing, saying it was her fault. But it wasn't it was mine. I was, I, I made it look like I didn't want her to drive, but..." he sighed again, "...I wanted to protect her."

He stopped and everyone frowned, confused. "Go on," Kel cooed beside him, while giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze.

"While she was apologizing, I, I…._kissed_ her," he whispered the last two words. By now his face resembled a tomato from shame and embarrassment. And the Stump's resembled one from anger.

"You WHAT!"

"I kissed her sir, I knew I shouldn't have, but…" he hesitated and looked away, "I love her. I knew I shouldn't have, not just because we were on a mission. But you know what happened with…" he paused and whispered the next word, "..._Wyatt_… but I was stupid. And I couldn't stand not talking to her. It was also stupid because she is, or _was _my partner. And you shouldn't bring stuff like that into work. But she just looked so..."

"STOP!" roared Joren, his face contorted in disgust about what the man would say about Liz and at what the man did. "I can't believe you did that to her."

Kel jumped in her seat. Her mind was racing, who was this man named Wyatt and when had Lerant ever loved his best friend as more than friends as a lover?

Dom had his head in his hands and silent tears were trekking down a reddened Lerant. Wolset looked like his head would explode from all this knowledge.

'All this time,' he thought, 'all this time I saw the signs, but I thought nothing of it.' He rubbed his head and held onto Joren, who'd taken a liking to strangle Lerant.

Dom noticed this, he also noticed that Commander Wyldon wasn't doing a thing to stop this insanity, instead he was pacing, every once in a while banging his fist on the table.

Kel sat in her chair, watching everyone. Dom leaned in towards her, and for some strange reason she felt butterflies in her stomach. A faint blush appeared on her muddy cheeks from the thought. She squirmed as his lips brushed against her ear. "I'll explain everything," he whispered huskily with a melancholy smile.

Kel nodded and sat back in her chair, feeling somewhat giddy. She scolded herself, now was not the time, especially when the other members of the office we're trying to pry Joren off of Lerant.

* * *

**I know it's short, but next chapter is going to be really long and have flashbacks. And guess what? Neal and Owen will be in the next chapter as will Kel's old academy friends. And I am hoping to make the flashbacks tearjerkers, hoping they'll be mind you. REVIEW and I'll become more motivated to write sooner and a longer chapter. PLEASE!**

**thanx for reading**

**much love,**

**redpheonix **


	9. Jack Wyatt Brown

**I'm really proud of myself this is a really long chapter, a lot longer than my others, and you get just about all of the main characters points of views. And as promised Neal and Owen are back in the picture! YEAH! Ok, now I have to slave over the keyboard. READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks for reading, here it goes.**

**Ch.9 Jack Wyatt Brown**

Liz blinked, staring out the window. She gurgled. It was a mixture between a laugh and a heart wrenching sob. She felt her hands sweat and wiped them on the warm sheets. She stared blankly as the rain began to pour heavier against the panes.

She began to laugh. It was nervous and anxious. She hated when this happened. It was a strange habit that she received from her father. Commander Raoul looked at her in surprise and she could see him edging away. He gripped her shoulder, a comforting gesture. When he spoke, his words were dripping with concern. "I'd like to speak with you once you've accepted the news."

She nodded while laughing. Tears were streaming down her face. Her body shook from the nervous laughter and pain thudded in her calf and shoulder. No matter how many times she tried to stop the laughter, she couldn't.

She realized that for the second time in her life she was having a mental breakdown. "Why?" she sobbed. But she knew she was a traitor after all.

She knocked the glass over in a fit of anger. Glass and water went everywhere. But it didn't matter. She had nothing now. All of her friends worked for the TPD and she no longer worked beside them.

As her laughter continued to wrack on she shifted on the bed. She curled up in a ball and feeling so alone and scarred. She ignored the pain as she scrunched her limbs together. It took her a few hours to finally pass out from the irregularity of her breathing. But even in her dreams she was lost.

* * *

Kel closed Wyldon's office door gently behind her. She watched Joren and Wolset storm in the opposite direction of Lerant. Just thinking about the man made her blood boil. Dom nudged her elbow and she looked up. He slung his arm across her shoulders. They walked in silence and she could tell it was eating away at him.

"I really shouldn't be telling you this you know, especially without Liz's or Joren's consent, but you need to know. It will clear a few things up."

Kel shifted under his gaze and rubbed her nose, giving her and excuse not to look at his blue orbs. Dom led her in silence to the first class officer dormitories. They stopped at a door and she read the plague while he punched in the numbers. FIRST CLASS OFFICER DOMITAN MASBOLLE. She smiled, his name, like hers, was a mouthful, but it had a nice ring to it.

He pushed open the door and stood in the doorway. Kel's eyes flickered across the room. She could tell that when he'd been called to leave for the Copper Isles he had been on his vacation. Clothes were sprawled across the floor. Dirty dishes remained on the counter and the light in the bathroom was still on.

Dom scratched his head, "How much do you think the bill for that will be?" he asked while pointing at the bathroom.

"I think that should be the least of your worries," she said. Her nose crinkled as the stench of spoiled food reached her nose.

Dom nodded and rummaged in his bag. Kel watched, bemused and slightly taken aback as he pulled out a bottle of Axe. She snorted, "It would be easier if you just bathed, Dom."

He grinned while shaking the can. "Oh, this isn't for me." He walked towards the kitchen and began to spray wildly everywhere.

Kel swayed as the wonderful aroma filled her lungs. She really did love Axe, as much as she hated to admit to it. Dom looked down at the can and back at Kel. He grinned knowingly, "So Kel is attracted to the opposite sex. Wolsie and I were beginning to wander."

Kel gaped at him and her cheeks flushed. "What would make you think that?"

"Why, I have yet to swoop you off your foot, milady, but there's still hope," he laughed.

Kel wasn't laughing and instead was staring at a picture frame on his wall. He frowned and followed her gaze.

Kel blanched. On Dom's wall hung a picture frame. The picture was of a younger Dom, in his teen years, his arms in a headlock around what was a gangly teenaged Neal. She looked back and forth between Dom and the picture. She stared at Dom's nose and then Neal's in the picture. Then it clicked. Neal was the owner of the nose she'd seen before.

"Um…" Dom said confused.

"That boy," she said pointing to the green eyed teenager, "how do you know him?"

Dom walked towards the picture. "You mean Meathead?"

"The boy with the green eyes."

"Yeah, that's Meathead. Well, Neal really."

"How do you know him?"

"Neal's my cousin, my mom's brother's eldest son. He's only a year younger than me. That picture was when I was sixteen, him fifteen."

"You're kidding right?" Kel blinked, still looking between the picture and Dom.

"Nooo…why? Why do you ask?"

"Meathead as you call him," she laughed, "he's my best friend. I'd recognize him anywhere."

Dom started choking on his spit. He bent over and began laughing. "You've got to be kidding me. You're the girl he always was ranting about. He practically thinks you're a goddess." He laughed and then looked at the picture sadly, "I haven't seen him for over three years."

* * *

Meanwhile a certain Meathead sat before Commander Wyldon, fiddling with his wallet. He could hear the cushions of Owen's seat groan, for the man, boy really at heart, was jumping in joy with excitement.

Wyldon looked at the two men in front of him, one tall and lean, the other short and stocky. One unbearably excited the other a dramatic sarcastic Fein. He smiled; he couldn't wait to get rid of them. They'd been driving him crazy, asking for any kind of mission. They were bored out of their minds without Kel to boss them around.

Wyldon cleared his throat and Neal looked up, still fiddling with his wallet. This only made Owen worse; however, he nearly fell from his seat with pent up energy. The commander ignored this and held his hands in front of him. "Officers Queenscove, Jesslaw."

"Sir," the officers said together while saluting.

"I have a miss…" the commander began.

"OH! HOW JOLLY!" exclaimed Owen.

Neal looked over at Owen through the corner of his eyes. Owen looked a little too excited in his opinion. Neal grabbed the arms of his chair and hopped over to the other end of the desk, wanting to put some space between himself and his ecstatic partner.

Wyldon unlaced his fingers and rubbed his temple. "I'm putting you on a missing person's case."

Owen stopped bouncing and slumped, "Sir? I think we deserve better than that, I mean we are first class officers." His grey eyes wide and lower lip in a pout as he stopped his continuous bouncing.

Wyldon growled, causing Neal to now scoot his chair backwards. "Officers this is and important case. The woman you're looking for was in Scanra, she is one of our officers…" he paused, "..._was_ one of our officers."

Neal leaned forward head propped on his hands. "Sir?" He found Command Wyldon's change of tense intriguing.

"She was on a classified mission. She abandoned her post. Her chips been removed and we need to find her. Be it dead or alive."

"You think she's dead?" Neal asked, brow raised.

"How else would her chip be removed or broken?"

Neal shifted, "You think she's a traitor? You think she joined Maggot."

"I know she's a traitor, but I don't know of her allegiance."

Neal nodded, "Do you have a description?"

"Of course," Wyldon grunted. He typed in the woman's name and tapped enter. He turned the monitor of his Dell around to face the officers.

Neal scooted forward to get a better look. There was a photo of a young woman, wearing the navy blue uniform with the sergeant patch on her shoulder. She looked to be slightly younger than himself. In the photo she wore her auburn tresses down, the layers framing her thin freckled face. She had a stubborn chin and amber eyes that reflected the red from her hair. From what Neal could see of the woman's figure in the photo, she was thin and lean. She was smiling he knew by the way her eyes were squinting she had been laughing when the picture was taken. Her teeth were straight and shone white against her pale freckled complexion.

Neal smiled; she looked like she was easy to get along with. And she looked as though she'd never betray a soul and was loyal. A mystery, he thought, just like all women.

His emerald eyes moved to the text beside the picture. Her name was apparently Elizabeth Anne Peterson. And he was right in that they were close in age. The woman was twenty-two and she would gain another year on December 21st, which would be in a little more than two months. She wall tall for a woman and he felt himself rereading her height over and over again. She was taller than Kel! Even if it was only an inch, it was still a great feat. This woman was five foot ten and Kel five foot nine. He still had some inches over this woman being six foot four. She was a sergeant and first class officer and had graduated before him since he joined the academy late. According to the records she no longer worked for them. His eyes scanned the last bit of information. It was her skills; she was a sharpshooter and quick on her feet. She'd obviously be able to make quick decisions and make quick actions. It seemed she was made for a chase, her being the predator of course. She was in for a shock for now she was his prey.

* * *

Lerant slammed his dorm room after lugging a depressed Sarge through the door. Sarge would only be with him as Lerant had always been the one to dog sit.

He threw off his sweat and mud soaked jacket and shirt. He rolled up his jeans and slumped to the floor against he wall. The force of his body causing a picture to slide next to him. He looked over and cringed. It was Liz, holding Sarge, a four week old pup then, in the air and kissing Sarge's wet nose. Lerant had his arm around her on one side and Wolset on the other. He winced again as memories flooded him. The man that had taken that picture had given Liz that dog. That was the man that his best friend had loved dearly and had given her heart to. It was a man that Lerant had thought of as a brother and was the reason he tried to live life to the fullest. Seeing as the man was dead and had died at a young age.

* * *

Joren stormed across his dorm hall. How could he? How could he take advantage of his best friend like that? How could one kiss, cause a girl to lose everything? Joren's fists clenched just thinking about Lerant kissing Liz. Liz, who had been there for both of them during the academy, during the Copper Isles, and who should be there now. Why couldn't Lerant ignore his pants and think of the mission?

He growled. Even if he didn't talk much to anyone but Wolset and even if he and Liz didn't get along anymore, he still respected her. He still thought of her as a sister even if their bond was broken and would never be able to be fixed to the way it once was. How could that man…wait, Joren thought, he is no man. No man would do what they'd done, especially when they had known and been best friends with the man that still held tightly to Liz's heart, even in death. He slammed his fist into the wall.

His anger was coming back. He'd been so careful and when no one was around Liz would come and make him feel calm, then she'd leave. She's gone! He thought and slammed his already bleeding hand into the wall again.

He screamed in anger and frustration at the mess he was making. And now, he thought, he'd never see her again even if she was alive. She was lost, missing. And if they ever did find her, it didn't matter because she was fired.

He punched the wall again. He'd lost her that night, as he had lost everyone because no one was the same. And no one ever would be. Because of that night he was angry all the time and isolated himself from the world.

Because of that night, Liz would cry from a male touch that was beyond a hug. She would run away from any relationships and she tried to have full all the time, because in her opinion, when you're laughing you don't feel pain and you forget. And those first few months, all she ever did was drink, vomit, and pass out.

Lerant. He growled. Lerant became reserved and only talked with Liz. Of course, he thought. They'd become so close and then Lerant had fallen in love with her. But of course she wouldn't she flinched from any male touch.

Wolset. He went from being a clown to being a calm thinker. He gained a conscious from the incident and thought things threw because he didn't' want to lose anyone ever again.

Dom. He slowly faded from them. He still remained friends with the group, but never as close. He didn't want to be close with anyone, afraid of the pain that would erupt in his chest, his heart, when they all would die. He became aware of his own possible death because of that day and realized how afraid he was of the inevitable.

Joren punched the wall again and again, bruising bones and spreading the leaking blood on him and his things. He kicked and he punched angry at everything and everyone. Everyone was to blame, even himself. If they'd only taken their vacation week instead of waiting.

* * *

Wolset sat on his couch, heavily. How? He kept asking himself. Why? Didn't Lerant have a brain? Could the man not think? Had he gone insane? This was Liz. LIZ. They were best friends. Everything they did was like brother-sister. Not like lovers. How could he have fallen for the girl when she never flirted or did anything to make the opposite sex take notice of her?

And yet. How could he have been so blind? So stupid. He had seen it. He knew it was coming, and he didn't nothing to stop it. Nothing to warm Lerant of his growing feelings and Liz of Lerant's feelings. He pulled at his hair and gritted his teeth.

If he'd just done something to stop Lerant. Stop Lerant from making excuses to hug Liz, because the man just wanted any touch from her. He should have distracted Lerant from giving he those love filled stares that she'd always miss by seconds.

He jumped as he heard pounding somewhere close. It stopped and he heard a roar. He'd know it anywhere, it was Joren. He moved to get up and then dropped to the ground. No, he thought, he was sick of helping everyone else, when he needed help as well. Let the fool figure out how to control himself on his own.

He leaned his head against the couch and let his eyes droop. Sleep, he thought, was just the beginning to his new mission. He needed to help himself. He needed to finally move on from that night, and so did Joren. As did the others. Maybe, he thought. Maybe Liz losing her job can actually help her move on. Move on.

* * *

Liz walked down a stone pathway. She was being followed, she could sense it. Her heart thudded wildly beneath her breast. Sweat formed on her palms and she felt warmth everywhere. Sweat dropped from her brow and trickled down her nose. It was really like a sauna out there, or at least to her.

It was strange though, each time she exhaled a cloud would erupt from he lungs. It looked as though it was cold, and yet her skin continued to burn. She looked around; icicles were dripping from tree branches. Ice formed over the pathway. But with every step she took her feet made the ice melt, and steam emitted in the space between her feet and the pathway.

As she watched the winter wonder land she continued further down the path, curious. Where was she? Where did the path lead to?

She heard a faint voice, calling her. Gently saying, "Liz! It is not your time. Turn back!"

But she ignored the voice. She could do whatever she damn well pleased!

And then, cold ran through her veins. She was no longer burning up, but freezing. She breathed in a lungful, and gagged from the pain the chill brought to her chest.

She felt many hands trying to reach her, grab her, and make her turn back. But they all missed and when they touched her, their arms went right through her, as if they were ghosts.

Fright finally entered her mind and she stopped in her tracks. A hand, a solid hand grabbed her shoulder. She nearly crumbled to the floor from the touch. She recognized it. It was him. But how?

She turned her head and her amber eyes met a pair of grey eyes that she hadn't seen since the day before _that night._ She inhaled sharply, tiny daggers of frozen air piercing her lungs.

"Now is not your time, Elizabeth. You must turn back."

She nodded, tears falling freely from her freezing eyes. He grabbed her hand, and she felt warmth spread through her body at his touch. "It' time to go back, this is not your home Elizabeth. Not yet."

"But I have no home," she breathed.

He shook his head, light brown locks falling into his grey eyes, "Everywhere is home to you, Elizabeth. You always have and always will take what you can get and make it your own. Things will fall together. You'll see."

"How?"

He smiled, "You'll see. The pieces will fall into place. Everyone will move on. And you will finally become what you were always supposed to be."

"What is that?"

He grinned and squeezed he hand, "This is just the beginning of your life. You are the Watcher. Eyes like a cat you have. Movements swift and quick, even without thought. You will watch and help the pieces come together. You will aid the Protector, for in the end you are the Watcher of the Protector and the world. And, I am, as I always promised, I am the protector, the Guardian of you. The Watcher. And soon you will be healed. But it is a different sort of healing, Watcher. You will finally meet your Healer, your companion. And he will help you guide the pieces to their places. And the two of you will guide the Protector together. You will know when you meet him that he's your companion. And you will know who the Protector is when you meet her again."

"Wait," she interrupted his prophesizing. "I know the Protector."

"You always have and always will. For each of the times you've died and been reborn again. And now you both are in your true forms. Remember who you are Watcher, for you will be tested in your aid and guidance of the Protector. Do not forget that you always had it, if just wasn't the time. The pieces will start to fit, once you've met him. Goodbye Watcher, till next time," the man, her guardian said and kissed her gently on the lips, finally giving her closer and finality from her lover.

And the next time she blinked she was back in the Infirmary room of Fort Giantkiller. Healers stood around her and gaped down at her as she sat upright from the bed. They were just about to pronounce her dead. Her heart had stopped; her chest stopped moving up and down for she stopped breathing. She had been burning up and then she was freezing, icicles starting to form on her lifeless body.

Nurse Roberts, the old woman who'd been tending her wounds smiled. For as she looked into her charge's eyes she no longer saw anger, sadness, and loneliness. For the first time she saw peace behind the amber eyes. The woman would be alright.

Liz closed her eyes. She no longer felt lonely, sad, or hatred for everything. She felt happy and wished everyone could feel this way. She hadn't felt this way for three years. She blinked and smiled. She no longer felt love for her deceased lover. She felt peace with him. She looked up and grinned wider, ignoring her chapped lips breaking. He was, as he had promised, her guardian.

And now she was the Watcher. It didn't feel strange at all. It felt right. And she suddenly knew that she had been in death. And it didn't scare her one bit.

She felt free, free to be happy. Free to enjoy life. Free to love once again. She felt like herself once again. She felt like herself for the first time in years.

It didn't matter now, that she was jobless and miles from her friends. Because in the end, she was the Watcher. All that mattered was finding the Healer, whoever he was. and then aiding the Protector. She smiled again. She wasn't' jobless, she was after all the Watcher.

* * *

_Flashback_

Liz smiled as Joren read the newspaper across from her. Sarge was on her lap, yipping happily at passerby. Dom and Jack were at the international Office, working on paperwork. Wolset and Lerant were at HQ, making briefing reports for the mafia member they'd caught.

Joren looked up as Sarge yapped at the little boy and his mother that passed by on the sidewalk. Sarge wanted all the attention he could get. "Attention hog," he snorted while scratching the pup behind the ears.

Liz hugged Sarge tightly, "He's just a pup."

"Excuses, excuses. So when I have to apologize to people for your temper, I should just say 'she's just insane, show's over'."

Liz ripped the newspaper in half, wanting to enrage her best friend. "Nooo…you should apologize to them for angering me."

"But everything I d makes you angry."

"Then don't do anything."

Joren stood rigid, unblinking and fighting a grin down. Liz held up Sarge to his face, wanting him to crack. The pup licked Joren's face, tail wagging. Liz sniggered as Sarge slobbered on her partner and best friend.

Eventually, Joren pulled away. Face glistening from the dog saliva. He wrinkled a nose and snatched Sarge from her grasp. "Drug, dog, HA!" he said while stroking Sarge's back, "He can't tell a seat cushion from his kibble."

She grinned, "What can I say, he thought it was you."

"How's that?"

"The car is yours, therefore it smells like you." She said slowly as if she was talking to a toddler.

"Humph," he said and looked away, "I don't smell.

"That's what you think, to him you smell like food. As you do to me."

"Maybe. But at least you don't eat my cushions."

"That would be…different," she said, sniggering at the thought of jumping into Joren's patrol car and eating all of the cushions.

"Actually, I think it'd be rather, disturbing, frightening really," Joren said dryly, trying to get the strange images from his mind.

She nodded and jerked her head. She heard what was distinctly a loud crash followed by an earsplitting explosion. She jumped up, knocking the table and chair over. Joren stood slowly, face set in a stony expression, hiding his surprise.

Liz pressed Sarge to her chest and faced the street. The ground shook and her brow furrowed. There were never earthquakes in Conte. She looked over a Joren, who was now peering down the street. They could hear people sobbing and shrieking some distance from them.

She raised a brow as she saw people running as if the world was over down the street towards them. Joren yelled, above the streets, "DO YOU WANT TO BECOME ROADKILL, OBEY THE LAW, NO JAYWALKING; THE ROADS ARE FOR CARS, THE SIDEWALKS FOR PEDESTRIANS!"

But they ignored him and he clenched his jaw in anger. Liz hefted Sarge more comfortable and took one last look at Joren. He nodded for her to take off. As much as he hated to admit it, she was faster than him and he'd just slow her down.

Liz dodged frantic pedestrians screaming for them to move, but they just ignored her. Her long legs carried her swiftly and she leapt over various items that were rolling towards her. Sarge yipped at the civilians as she past them; he thought this was just a game.

Joren followed, hair gleaming in the light. He followed the mane of flaming red hair; blue eyes only removing themselves from her when he checked to make sure he wasn't about to body slam the villagers.

He reached for his belt and with quick movements he jerked his pistol free. He hid most of it with his hands, to not frighten those around him. He knew he was getting closer to the scene. Smoke was becoming closer to the ground and the civilians were bunched closer.

It was hard keeping track of Liz, for now there were other heads of red. Now his eyes scanned for Sarge's snout as he bobbed up and down. He coughed, the smoke starting to get to him. Nonetheless, he raised his white undershirt above his nose and trekked on.

Liz stopped. She stood still at the sight in front of her. Civilians running from the site jostled past her and shouted for her to move, as it wasn't safe. A lump grew in her throat and she was vaguely aware of Sarge as he was licking her ear, sensing she was upset.

Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Before her stood the large International Office of Tortall. Glass and debris was everywhere on the ground. And in the middle of the building, the tail of an airplane poked out, smoke billowing everywhere, as was the violent flames.

She took a step closer, hearing glass crunch under her sneakers. Sarge whined, sensing the areas distress and discomfort. Liz closed her eyes and walked forward, heart dropping lower within each step. It was strange, her heart stopped and yet at the same time it beat a mile a minute. Her stomach clenched and unclenched, and she felt ill.

As she took a step forward a hand gripped her shoulder. She shrugged it off; she knew it was Joren by the touch. As she continued to trek forward slowly, eyes closed, he grabbed both shoulders.

She wrestled free and his eyes were stony, "There's nothing you can do," he whispered.

"I can't just stand here," she said exasperated.

"You can and you will," he spoke icily.

She shoved Sarge into his arms and turned tail and ran to the doors. Firemen stood in front of the entrance. She shrieked for them to move, but they wouldn't and told her to calm down.

She saw them carrying a man on a stretcher and flung herself towards it. She gasped at the sight. IT was Dom, with a chuck of wood lodged in his gut. She walked beside the stretcher as the firemen were bringing him to the truck.

"Liz!" he wheezed.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "What happened?"

"Paperwork! Paperwork he said, helping a commander he said. He never said anything about terrorists though, not at all!" his voice was high and frightened.

"Will he be alright?" she asked the fireman.

HE nodded slowly and she returned her attention to Dom.

"Domitan, you have to tell me, where is he?"

He shook his head violently and groaned at the pain it caused. "You have to tell me, what happened to him? Where is he?"

"He's gone Liz," he spoke guiltily; "it should have been me. IT was really his turn to get lunch, but I was tired of paperwork. Paperwork! So he let me go get lunch for the tow of us. I should be dead Liz, I'm so sorry."

"NO!" she screamed and ran to the entrance. The fireman pushed her away. She shook in fury and rage. Why wouldn't they let her go in? She pivoted on her foot and kneed the man to her right in the groin. He doubled over and she kicked him to the floor. The man to her left roared in outrage and she whacked him in the head. He swung a punch and she dodged, while grabbing his wrist and flinging him on his back.

She slammed into the entrance, just out of the next fireman's grasp. She ran up the stairs, flight after flight, heart racing, and mind only thinking of the man that had her heart in his hands so tightly.

Memories flashed in her amber eyes. Memories of their first kiss, how he'd tenderly pulled her closer and bridged the remaining gap between their bodies, their lips meeting slowly and carefully. She blinked, and another memory evaded her thoughts. Graduation. They were running late, as the car had stopped, no gas left in the tank. They'd had to run all the way from a block outside of their dorm to the church some miles away. She remembered how eventually, he ended up picking her up and slinging her over his shoulders, not wanting to "ruin" her hair, when really he'd wanted an excuse to touch his lover.

She grasped the handle to floor twenty, blindly as tears fell freely. She slammed it open and pulled her dark green v-neck over her face as the smoke clouded her lungs. The right wind of the airplane had knocked over desks, computers, cubicles, and there was af fluttering fire in the corner.

She could hear coughing and strode around the wing slowly, afraid of what she knew was coming. She grimaced as she hopped over various bodies of workers, she recognized, all dead.

She stopped when she saw his almost lifeless grey eyes. A tear fell from the corners as he saw her. She ran blindly through the smoke. Her chin trembled as she stood next to him. The wing emerged in his gut and she knew he was dying.

She moved to touch him, but was afraid of hurting or making him die faster.

"I'm sorry," he whispered while looking dead straight into her lost amber eyes. "I made so many promises, and now I can't keep them."

She shook her head vigorously, almost losing her balance. "It's not your fault. It's not like you knew."

"No, I guess not. But I have to leave you," he moved to gently touch her cheek. He winced as his bloods poured heavily form his abdomen.

"Don't," she said and touched his cheek lightly. "Please, don't leave me."

"I can't control this love," he said and pecked the top of her head.

"But what will I do?

"You will move on," he said firmly.

"Never," she said, shocked he'd wanted her to.

"You must, Elizabeth. Maybe we just weren't meant to be. Maybe, I'm supposed to watch over you, not love you."

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's the way the world is Elizabeth."

"Don't call me that."

He smiled slowly, "It's your name, is it not?"

She shifted and grabbed his now icy hands. "You have to leave Liz, it's not safe," he said.

"NO! I won't ever leave you, if you can't stay, take me with you."

"It's not your time, please don't be difficult." He said and his eyes shifted to the doorway.

"Liz, we have to leave," a voice echoed.

"NEVER!" she said and flung her arms around Jack gently, so as not to hurt him. She heard his footsteps coming closer but ignored him as she sobbed into her dying lover's chest.

"You must leave, love," Jack said and planted a gentle kiss on her frowning lips. "We will meet again. Please move on, I don't want you to be alone. I want you to love. I'll be watching over you, Elizabeth, I'll be your Guardian. I can promise you that," his words were sure and hasty, and he had the tone of a Commander as he spoke.  
She fell to her knees as his eyes closed and they never opened again. She felt Joren grab her arms, but she struggled, "Leave me here!" she yelled above the clatter.

"You're making me do this Liz," he said and swung his fist back before she could stop him. He swung hard and hit her jaw. She dropped to the floor, eyes fluttering closed. He gave one last look at his now dead friend, skin becoming pale from the loss of blood and heat. "I'll take care of her Jack, I promise." He turned away from the dead body of Jack Wyatt Brown.

He slid his arms under her knees and head. He brought her close to his chest and kissed her forehead before running to the exit. Taking Liz away from the death she wanted and giving her life.

**

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**

**I know there's probably a lot of spelling mistakes, but once I'm finished with the entire story im going to go back and edit every chapter other than just using spell check. It's not as much of a tearjerker as I had hoped, or at least to me, but when I wrote it I got one tear from myself, and I usually don't cry at anything so you never know. Anyways the sooner you review the more motivated I'll be to update. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No really, review.**

**Much love,**

**redpheonix**


	10. The Capture of the Watcher

**SCHOOLS ALMOST OUT! at least for me this is my last week hahaha suckers! anyway, im glad ya liked chapter nine I hope the flashback part wasn't corny, and when liz was "asleep" she was actually in the realm of the dead and her dead lover guided her back to life while telling her what she was and how the protector needed her, just telling you cuz that tidbit was important, and she was not hallucinating or anything, alright. Here's chapter ten, double digits baby!**

**Ch.10 The Capture of the Watcher**

Kel jabbed her spaghetti with her fork, not really interested in food anymore. All of her squad was avoiding each other, as they'd all taken to blaming themselves for the "incident" or blaming others. She sat isolated in the HQ cafeteria, but she was fine with it. She was after all first and foremost a loner and an independent person, she needed no one to entertain her, the meatball on her plate was fine. She exhaled slowly; knowing that was completely untrue and she missed both of her sarcastic friends dearly. But she didn't want company at the moment, and in a way was glad that Neal wasn't there, because she knew he'd remind her of Liz. She stabbed the meatball particularly hard when she thought of Liz. She wasn't angry at all with the girl, just with the situation she'd gotten herself into. In a way she understood why she'd run, but they she did not. Sure, she'd been kissed before, but she wasn't a slut. And she would never be able to understand what was going through the girls head because a: she just wasn't Liz, b: she'd never been in love before, and c: she'd never known anyone that had died. She had seen people being shot and the other ordinary things you saw when you were a TPD officer, but she hadn't known those people, she didn't have a connection with them. The closest thing to losing anyone was having Liz become missing.

She growled in frustration, no matter what she did, her thoughts always came back to horrific images of Liz being tortured, or somehow becoming insane and evil, foaming at the mouth. She shook her head, maybe Liz's paranoia had finally rubbed off on her, even if they'd only known each other for a few months.

The bench across from her groaned and she looked up. She nearly jumped at the sight of Cleon and Merric, both redheads grinning happily down at her. Try as she might, she couldn't put her familiar mask on to hide her distress. Instantly Cleon frowned, Kel always thought he had some weird empathy thing. "She's only been gone two months, and she's already found more interesting friends."

"Shut up," she said, knowing that he was joking about how she was here all alone. "I just felt like being alone."

Merric nodded while Kel finally lifted her gaze from the meatball she'd been staring at for the past half hour. Her hazel eyes wandered the cafeteria and her distress returned when she saw Joren, all alone in the corner at the back of the hall staring amusedly in her direction. She looked around, yup paranoia, she thought, as she'd been checking to see if he decided to pull a Dom or Wolset and play a prank on her. She let out a shaky breath, feeling it safe and looked back at Merric. Then she looked at Cleon. She tried to hold in her laughter, but couldn't. Both of their faces were a brighter red then their hair and when she looked at their arms she saw the same piercing red as well.

Cleon looked at his lobster arms and shrugged, causing him to wince from the pain of moving. Merric frowned over at Kel, who was now practically lying on the table being unable to contain her laughter.

* * *

Neal knelt in an alleyway, he was sure him and Owen were on to something. As faint as it was his green eyes had found the remains of blood trailing on the street to an alleyway. The street had been the last place her locator reported back to Commander Wyldon. But he also had the help of magic and a keen nose. Owen scraped at the remains of what was a puddle of blood, not looking too jolly for once. "Neal?" he said jabbing furiously at the alley floor.

"Hmm?" Neal asked, investigating the area in the scant moonlight.

"How old is this?" he gestured to the puddle.

Neal took long strides over to his partner and best friend. He knelt and held his hand out over the pool of old blood. Green light shimmered around his hand and Owen stared in awe, even if he'd seen this happen many a time before. Neal looked up, no expression clear on his face. "It's nearly a week old, and it's definitely a female."

Owen nodded and pulled on some gloves so that they could put the puddle of blood into a vile where they'd send it to Wyldon who would then have a team of scientists poke at it in the laboratory. From there they'd be able to identify the person if it was Elizabeth.

Owen corked the vile and slipped it into his jacket pocket; he was about to jump up and pop the creak in his neck when he felt cold metal against his temple. He froze. He knew exactly what it was. Someone was pointing a gun at his head.

* * *

Liz plopped her things into the trunk of the car Commander Wyldon was allowing her to borrow. She was to leave and go back home. She was angry; she had to find the Healer and the Protector. But a part of her was saying it was just a dream, it was just a crazy imagination concocted in her mind when she was recovering from being shot twice. She rubbed the now scab on her shoulder, it was rather gross, and she was glad that she wore a sweatshirt over it so she couldn't look at it. And whenever she wore thin shirts you could make it out. It looked like a huge bruise but it was really a gigantic scab that in Liz's opinion, might be taking over her body.

She closed the trunk and entered the Jeep Liberty's driver seat. She took one last glance at Healer Johnson, who was sending her off, as well as Commander Raoul himself. He'd asked her over and over again to join the Own, but she declined. She of course wanted to say yes, but something said no. She looked up at the thought. She knew the person saying no repetitively at joining the Own was Jack, her Guardian he had called himself in her dream.

She turned the ignition on and gave a quick wave before driving through Fort Giantkiller's Gates. She drove down the highway, on her way to home. She had not the slightest inclination of what she was going to do, or how she was going to explain to her parents that she was after all a traitor. She'd just have to butter that part up, as well as being shot twice. Her mother would indeed go ballistic. She prayed that they wouldn't try to get her to help with the family business, the restaurant chain called Peterson's, but knew in the end she would work there until she could think of another occupation.

After a horrible ten hour drive and many pit stops to either relieve herself or put more gas in the car she arrived at 2742 Glen Road. Home or at least home to Liz. She hopped out of the Jeep and grabbed her duffle bag from the back. She walked slowly, taking in the familiar scent of the garden her mother had always labored over obsessively. She shook her head, it was some strange thing the entire women on her mother's side were obsessed with and she was glad she didn't receive that gene.

She rang the doorbell. She could hear commotion inside, and winced. It was Friday afternoon now, the day each week when every member of the Peterson family would clamber over to her mother and father's house, as was tradition since God knows when. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, thoughtfully. And the door swung open, causing her to sway as her right calf was still a bit wobbly. Before her stood her sister-in-law, tummy round as she was in the middle of her first pregnancy. Claire, as was her name, blanched and her jaw dropped. Liz shook her head and made to leave, but felt the older woman grasp her shoulder, which caused her to jump and call out an infamous, "GAH!" She rubbed her shoulder and clenched her jaw in pain. Some people, she thought while being met up with a room full of mostly redheads, are just way too touchy.

There had been music and chatting and laughter, but it all stopped as Liz entered the room. She was known as the member of the Peterson clan that wasn't fond of get togethers but they also knew she was TPD first class officer member and was never around because of work.

She dropped her bag slowly and swallowed hard before saying the two words that she hated above all at the moment and the words her parents had been dying to hear since she'd joined "that awful academy". She closed her eyes, "I'm home."

A woman in her late forties, the ends of her red locks turning grey rushed towards her daughter with tears in her eyes. She was about to envelope her one and only daughter in her arms, but stopped in her tracks. Liz stood, one arm held aloft. But what frightened Mrs. Peterson more was the fact that instead of seeing the amber eyes of her daughter she saw black, all black where her pupils and iris' should be. And when you looked into her eyes, you didn't see your tiny reflection of yourself, but it seemed you saw everything at once. The entire party froze once again in fright. Matt, Liz's oldest brother and husband to Claire took a frightened step towards his youngest sibling. He touched her stone still hand and jerked his own back instantly. Her skin burned as if he was touching a burner on a stove or the side of a fresh off the burner pain. He held his burning hand tenderly and walked purposely away from his now frightening sister.

Then there was a bang on the door and the Peterson family jumped once again scarred. There was another bang and the oaken door fell to the floor off its hinges. Around twenty men, all dressed in black, ran into the hall of the house. They were all armed with various pistols and aimed them at each member. The leader of the group walked towards the stone still woman in the middle and smiled, the boss would indeed be pleased. For he and his group of men had finally found the Watcher before the sum Tortallians could, and the best part was the Tortalls had had her all along, they just didn't notice. Now the boss' plans would never fail, as they now had the eye of the world as their Seer had said.

He grabbed the woman and with the help of another man, as her legs wouldn't bend they carried her from the panicking family and into their van. The man, know as Stenman by all grinned wolfishly down at his captor, this part was terribly easy. Soon he would get his own lands, as Maggur had promised him. The woman's eyes were black all over and Stenman looked away from her gaze, knowing full well what was happening with her. At the moment she was in death, seeing something only the Watcher, as she was could see. He grinned, Maggur would be even more pleased, as she would already have some insight information to give once they arrived at their base some miles from the border in Scanra, and from there he would go along with the Watcher to his boss' palace by helicopter.

* * *

Kel jerked up at the TV screen from the book she was reading in her dorm. She blinked. This didn't make sense at all. Liz was supposed to be lost in Scanra, not have been kidnapped from her home in Danbury. And what was even fishier was the fact that the news team wasn't even supposed to know of Liz's disappearance in Scanra. But what made everything worse was the fact that the reporters were stated that two TPD officers had disappeared in Scanra as well, and they'd been looking for Liz. Kel felt her stomach drop as the reporter announced the names of both men, Owen Jesslaw and Neal Queenscove. She couldn't believe not only was Liz now captured instead of missing from her own home, but her other two best friends were now missing in enemy country. She turned the TV off for she couldn't stand it any longer.

She ran down the hall and the stairs till she arrived in front of Dom's own door room. She was about to knock but instead the door opened up right as she stood before the door. Dom's eyes were wide and he was gripping the door, his knuckles white. "I don't care what the Stump says, we're going after them."

Kel nodded and entered Dom's room to help him pack. She knew the Stump would give in, seeing both of them packed and ready as he would need officers to investigate the disappearance of the last two he'd sent looking for another missing officer. And Kel didn't really give a damn what he thought now anyways, instead of just one missing best friend, she now had three, and something told her they were all linked together. Sure, Liz had run because she was kissed by Lerant, but there just had to be something that happened. Someone in Scanra was taking delight in his or her capture of three Tortall officers, even if one was now fired. And Kel wouldn't give up until the pieces started falling into place. She shook her head, she'd never heard that saying before, and the words oddly didn't sound like hers at all. But she did like the saying, and the voice was familiar. Kel stopped stuffing Dom's shirts into his duffle bag, her eyes wide. She was hearing voices in her head, alright one voice. And the voice was laughing, yet angry as it spoke. Kel knew of only one person who spoke in such a way at times, and that person was Liz.

* * *

**HAHAHAHAHA! I think that may have been one of my better chapters I do say so myself. And since I only have five more days of school, you know what that means, the chapters will be even longer and come more quickly, YEAH!**

**Review and tell me if you like where this is going, or not, even though you should. and no, kel is not going insane, it's part of the story, you'll understand in the next chapter, but till then,**

**much love,**

**redpheonix**


	11. Vidi, Occhio, and Guarire

**AHHHH! I couldn't wait any longer and no one's home so I have the computer all to myself, hopefully I can write this all in one sitting, oh never mind scratch that I have to bathe my dog in fifteen minutes, the joys of a wet wriggling dog that will soon be chased, so it should take me two sittings then, oh well, I have to get this chapter out, it's driving me INSANE!**

**Ch.11 Vidi, Occhio, and Guarire**

Liz looked around; she was on the pathway she'd been some days ago when she had met up with her Guardian, or Jack, as she referred to him. She blinked, it was strange, just seconds ago she'd seen her mother striding towards her and now she was in that place. She was in the Realm of the Dead. But instead of sending shivers down her spine at the mere thought, she was oddly comforted. She liked it here, even if it was burning up in here, feeling once again like a sauna. Instead of walking further into death, for she knew she'd die, how she knew she didn't know, she walked sideways along icy trees, her feet making tracks in the ice.

Another set of footprints met up next to hers and she looked over to see Jack once again. She smiled whole heartily at him, and he did the same. He grabbed her forearm, "I must guide you Watcher, and you must see this."

She nodded as she took his appearance in. He wore what reminded her of a toga. One heavily muscled shoulder was bare and the other was covered with the sleeveless white cloth. He was barefoot. Liz looked down. She was barefoot as well, and wearing an identical toga, except more fitting to her stature and womanly figure. She shrugged it off and allowed the Guardian to guide her.

He stopped some paces and many trees later, on the edge of a cliff. "This is where you must come when you enter death, this is where the Gods will show you what must be seen, I won't always be here to guide you, so you must know the way yourself. You will see only what is needed for you to help the Protector; you can not guide it or tell your visions what to do yet. Only you can see them, I can not, and neither can the other Gods. You alone can Watch the world all at once, and yet not at all."

She stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down, instantly she felt herself being jerked inside the yellow misty haze. When she fully opened her eyes again, she was on what looked like an old battlefield, but she knew it still existed. This is what would happen if the Protector was unable stop Blayce. Strangely, she'd never heard of Blayce, but she knew who he was. Then it hit her with full force, Blayce was the scientist that created the devices she'd been trying to uncover in the laboratory some days ago.

She blinked again and the hilly field was filled with the blue uniforms of Tortallians and the black and red of Scanrans. But Tortall was losing; bodies of TPD officers, as well as the Own, and the Tortallian army lay askew every which way. She wrinkled her nose as the stench of dead met her nose. She heard a squawking and looked up. There was a strange creature. It had the face of a human as well as upper body, but it had metal wings that glinted in the sunlight and a tail. She made a face as the creatures own stench met her poor nose, it smelled of a field of cow pies mixed with blood. The ground shook below her and large creatures of metal, nearly fifteen feet high, immerged from the woods. They looked like gargantuan Swiss army knives. She stepped back as an arrow came straight towards her. Wait! an arrow had just been shot in her direction. She looked down and the arrow went through her stomach and passed out to the other side, it was as if she wasn't there. She knelt down to the blood mixed grass and tried to pull a weed, but she couldn't her hand passed through it each time. She gave up and watched the battle ensue in horror. Thousands of people she knew or that were just innocent civilians were being severed apart by these strange devices and then the half human half robot bird things would go and devour the flesh off of the dead. She retched on the ground as she saw a child being torn in half and chucked yards away by the killing devices. Then the child's flesh was devoured by two of the half human half robot bird thingies. She looked away as she wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her toga.

And when she looked again, a different scene met her eyes. She was somewhere completely different. She was in a bedroom, with two figures packing hastily. One was a man, the other a woman. The man was throwing things from his dresser onto the bed, and the woman was folding them and stuffing them in a duffle bag. Liz leaned closer to the man, as strange as it sounded he smelled familiar, as did the very room she was in. His face was somewhat blurry to her; it seemed the Gods didn't want her to know. She'd been here before though, loads of times, she was certain. She could hear them talking as well. The woman spoke in a business like tone, trying to keep all emotion from her voice and face. "We should bring Sarge; he'll be able to find her." Liz blanched, what was the possibility of there being another dog named Sarge in a place she'd somehow been before. She looked around the room and a familiar sight met her eyes. There was a picture frame with a picture of her in a group hug with Lerant, Joren, Jack, and Wolset, with one member missing. And that member was Dom, as he'd taken the picture with his camera. She looked back at the man; scant inches from their faces and her vision became clearer. The man staring straight through her and rummaging through his drawers was Dom. She looked down and noticed that she was inside of the dresser, she took a step back, and it was uncomfortable to see yourself immerged in something solid. She looked back at the woman, whose face was now clear. She saw the familiar pair of hazel eyes staring out the window blankly. Liz could hear Jack's voice in her ear, for he really was right beside her, she was just inside a vision. He spoke, his tone in the eerie prophesizing tone it had been last time, "All the pieces will come together, they will all fit to make one. Now you know who the Protector is, but do you know who the Healer is? No, you can See the Protector, for your connection is strong, but you must make your connection with the Healer. Only the Sight, lost in visions all the time, can help you find him. You must find him first before you make contact with the Protector, or the puzzle will break. You MUST find the Him first."

She strode over to the woman, who was clearly Kel. She stepped into her body, so that she could talk only with her, and so her friend could hear her. "The pieces will start falling into place. I will find you Protector, once I find the Healer and the Sight, and then I will protect and guide you as the Guardian protects and guides me. The pieces will fall into place, but first I must collect all of the pieces." Then she stood away from Kel's body and the next time she opened her eyes she was on the edge of the cliff with Jack.

He looked at her, before materializing away from her eyes. She could still sense him though and heard him repeat the all too familiar saying over and over again, "The pieces will start falling into place, my Watcher. But first you must find your pieces before you set them to their rights."

She turned and walked through the icy woods, this time her body freezing. She stopped when she came back to the path, and walked away from death and into life.

* * *

Helen watched the taller woman in front of her. Her eyes were an endless black, there wasn't a speck of white, and she had no irises. She found it rather frightening, but shook the feeling off as she watched the woman come back to reality and slump to the floor. The woman's body was shivering, and Helen pulled the blanket from her shoulders off and slung it around her. 

"Welcome back Watcher," Helen said while taking a seat on the cold floor beside the fiery haired woman.

The woman turned her head slowly and inhaled sharply when she came face to face with Helen. "And why do you call me the Watcher?"

"Because it is who you are, Watcher," Helen said, eyes never leaving the now amber eyed woman before her.

"And how do you know that?" she asked.

"It's strange that the eyes of the world can't tell one who shares almost as much power as she, but then again, you're just beginning to learn of your power Watcher, or would you be more comfortable with Liz?"

"Who, how, what are you?"

"I'm a Seer, but my visions come and go of their own accord, I don't have to travel into death like you do, my ancestors, all with the Sight, have prophesized about you for centuries, and I am honored to be in your presence Watcher, I will serve you, as my ancestors have throughout time, you are finally in your true form Watcher. Welcome back," Helen said and curtsied after standing up in front of Liz.

"You are Sight!" Liz proclaimed, excited that this might be the one who was to help her.

Helen cocked her head, "That is the nickname each Seer receives in my family, you truly are the Watcher. I am here at your service Watcher."

Liz stood slowly, aided by the shorter woman slightly. "Then you will help me," she said, her voice a tone she'd never heard before.

"Aye, that I will Mistress Watcher, as it should be, I am here to serve you," Helen said.

"You will help me find the Healer, and then we will find the Protector."

Helen smiled, the Watcher had finally come. Soon she'd be freed from this hellhole telling every vision she had to Maggur, soon things would be set right in Scanra. Her heart beat wildly, she would make her ancestors proud, for she was the true Sight, and the woman before her was the Watcher in her true form. She remembered seeing paintings from centuries ago of her when she'd been in her studies, but she had to be reborn and she was finally back to her true self. Soon, she would be freed. Watcher slumped onto Helen's bed and opened her mouth to ask of her surroundings, but instead instantly fell asleep dreaming over and over again of the first horrid vision she'd had.

* * *

Neal stared, jaw clenched in anger, across the room at Owen. Owen stared back, his eyes and face, looking for once completely depressed. Neal looked away, he'd never seen his friend in a state such as this and didn't plan on it, it was making him even more angrier just to look at their surroundings though, as they were in a cell, both tied to chairs, cloth stuffed in their mouths, hands and feet bound, and he'd only just managed to remove his blindfold. 

He creaked his neck, causing his spine to crack as well as a few other bones. Owen stared at the floor, obviously playing a mind game with himself out of sheer boredom. Neal huffed in frustration and rocked his chair back and forth until he finally landed with a thud on his back, at least he could now try to sleep. He heard Owen make a muffled snort from his cloth stuffed mouth. Neal rolled his eyes and began staring out of the cell, trying to figure out how they'd get out of there.

* * *

Liz sat up with a jolt, remembering that for some reason she was no longer in the Peterson residence. She turned her head ever so slightly and met a pair of misty grey green eyes. She jumped back, she had no idea there was someone that close. She heard a bubbling laughter emit from her right, and turned again. It was Sight. Her hair was down and stopped a little after her shoulders in tight honey blond curls. She was doubled over laughing at her. Liz frowned and stood up after smoothing her clothes and hair. "Aye, what's so funny Sight?" 

"You Mistress," she laughed. But then she stood straight and a serious expression came over her sly face. She jutted her round chin out, her pointed nose sticking out. "You are to meet the prisoners today; they won't speak so the boss says you are to get it out of them. You know, use your Gifts."

"And exactly who is this 'boss'?"

Sight sighed, "He's the one that's been looking about you since he heard you actually exist in this generation. He's going to use you, as he's using me, to take over Tortall, and eventually the other countries."

"How can I help him, and why should I?" asked Liz, with a doubtful expression.

Sight looked away, "Because he's captured a few of your family members, and if you don't do as he says he'll kill them."

"How do I know he has them?"

"You'll see them in the dungeons." Sight, or Helen replied smoothly.

"Oh," she said while rubbing her face. "Can I grant permission to speak with 'Boss' as you call him?"

"He'll speak with you in a heartbeat. You do know that you're considered a God right, well Goddess as you're a female, he'd do anything so long as…" she started rambling.

"Hush. Why again am I considered a Goddess?" Liz turned away, trying to hide the expression on her face, and the fact that she was about to laugh.

"Well, you are. You are called Watcher. You're an Avatar, you were condemned to the Earth centuries ago for a folly, you did, but this is the last life you have as an avatar, once you die you'll then come to the Realm of the Gods where you belong and take your rightful place."

"You've got to be kidding me right. I'm no God, Goddess. I'm just Elizabeth Anne Peterson. Besides if I'm a Goddess I wouldn't have been shot twice."

She shook her head. "You're in the form of an Avatar now, Watcher. Once we're through this life, you'll come back to the Realm of the Gods where you belong, as you are the eyes of the World and I will come with you as I am your servant. And I always will be, I'm a minor Goddess few know of me Mistress, but you are one of the shall I say 'top dogs'."

"Alright, how can I prove to you that I am no Goddess?"

"Let me prove to you that you are," Helen said, grinning cheekily. She wrote down hastily on a piece of parchment. "You are to say these words, but you must take me with you Mistress, for you're still a bit weak from the incident and I long to see my Mistress' siblings."

"But you just said..."

"Those are your foster family. Let us meet your truefamily Watcher, before the 'boss' comes for your Avatar body."

Liz looked down at the paper thoroughly confused and grabbed Helen's forearm before muttering the words. "Brother, sister,grant me but one last day with you to give me the wisdom I seek to complete the task you've sent me centuries ago. Let yoursister into the Realm."

She looked down at Helen, still holding firmly onto her arm, "Sure, are you alright…" her smirk melted off of her face. She looked around wildly; they were certainly not in the Realm of the Dead, but some other realm. She let go of Helen's hand, but the shorter girl still stood closely to her.

She looked over at her companion, and er, servant, she thought. Instead of seeing a woolen skirt and layers that provided warmth from the Scanran winter, the girl, woman really, wore a toga. But it was long and flowed down to her feet, it was a crimson red and looked to be silk. Her hair was longer now and trailed down her back, and around her forehead was a golden circlet. Liz blinked her heart pounding and then she took a moment to look at herself. She now wore a flowing green toga that had a slit from her upper right thigh to the floor, she wore no shoes. Her hair was down and atop it was a crown of varying flora. She felt very self conscious as the toga was quite revealing and she only wore a loincloth beneath it, no bra or anything.

She looked over at Helen and when she did she saw a tattoo on her left shoulder where her scab should be. It was an eye, and the longer you looked at it, the more you thought the iris changed color, and she could have sworn she saw it blink.

She shook her head, this Helen girl must've slipped her some kind of drug, and this was insane, practically insane. She slapped her head and as she did so she heard a ringing laughter. She looked around and saw tall slender people decked out in similar attire, some were even animals, and some she was unsure of what to call them. "Sister, have you so easily forgotten yourself through my punishment," the laughing voice spoke in a sing-song voice.

Liz cocked her head and stared at the woman. She had layers of raven black hair that trekked down to her thighs in curls; the woman looked to be around seven feet tall. Her eyes were a piercing green, and if you stared at her for awhile it was almost as if you saw a slender tree moving with the wind. And an even taller man stood next to her, arms around a long black staff, his eyes were just black, he didn't even have the whites of his eyes, but it wasn't frightening. He wore black robes and his hair was the same endless black as his eyes. He was tan and if you stared at him long enough, you could almost see flames dance across his flesh.

"None of our kin resemble one another," the woman spoke noticing her stare at her brother.

Two words came to mind as she stared at the two people at the throne. "Brother, sister," she spoke in a tone she did not recognize and then she did. When she spoke it was in a sing-song voice like the woman.

The two nodded. "Although dear, you and Sight shouldn't be here, not yet. You have yet to aid the Protector, and how could you have forgotten to bring Healer," she paused and scratched her chin in thought, "oh, you two did have a nasty row the last time you were here, but you've had centuries to cool your minds. I will not help youSister until you make your peace with Healer, he was dragged into this because of you. Off you go Watcher."

"Wait," the man said.

"Yes, Mithros?" asked the woman.

"I haven't seen my youngestsister in centuries and you're going to make me wait once more," he spoke, his voice echoed around the room.

"I'm afraid so, or she'll just take advantage of us like last time, I always knew we should have kept her away from Uusoae since she was but a babe, but _you _thought sibling bonding time was necessary."

Mithros sighed and looked at his youngest sister. "Vidi, mysister, I will send you and Occhio to Guarire and once you've…settled things with him we shall spend the day helping you three with the task ahead."

The Great Mother Goddess crossed her arms, but nodded nonetheless. "Go Vidi, before I change my mind."

Mithros held out his large hand and black beams of light erupted, he gestured with his other hand for the two of them to follow. He smiled wolfishly at hissister and her servant as they stepped through the portal to Guarire.

**MUAHHAHAHAHA! I bet none of you were expecting that! The next chapter will be more focused on the protector, but you will get to see who Guarire is next chapta too. ahh man im rolling on the floor just imagining all of your faces when you read this, but I was planning this all along, ok, I need a breather. Next chapter should be up soon, but my grandma is coming to visit for my sister's graduation next week, so I'll be needing to do some grandma/granddaughter bonding from Wednesday to the following Monday, but after that I have the WHOLE SUMMER to concoct various plot turns and loop wholes. I still wish I could see all of your faces when you read this chapter though, sigh, oh well, review and tell me if you spazzed out or freaked out or something hilarious!**

**Much love, **

**redpheonix**


	12. The Insanity of Kel

Ch.12 The Insanity of Kel

Kel's head slammed into the dashboard from Dom's erratic driving, what was it with awful drivers all becoming TPD officers? She groaned and slouched in her chair, waiting for the ongoing curses to erupt like a volcano from the man beside her. But nothing happened. He didn't shout, sigh, curse, rant, and to her it looked like he wasn't breathing. She quickly averted her eyes; she realized she once again had been staring at his chest beyond what was necessary, but then again, was it even necessary to stare at one's chest, trying to see the hardened muscles that one knew existed. She rolled her eyes at herself, she was surely becoming insane, what with the voice that had been interrupting her thoughts every so often, her talking back to herself in her mind. But she did have a good reason; she hadn't done much talking to anyone since they arrived at Tortall, and now they were leaving again, searching for three TPD officers. Wait, she scolded herself, make that _two _TPD officers and one unemployed woman. HA! Kel thought, Liz a woman, she was insane, ok at times she could be mellow and average, but only when she was in thought, she wasn't calm at all, only during "situations."

She looked over at Dom again, she was having trouble being entertained by the Scanran snowy plains, and quite frankly she just loved to stare at him. GAH! What was wrong with her, she was having one of those silly school girl crushes, the kind that made Liz wince and make funny faces behind the crushee. He looked over at her, one blue eye slowly sliding to the right. "…Yes?..." he drawled, sounding like Neal.

She jerked her head away, pretending to find the nonexistent dirt under her fingernails quite fascinating, in fact marvelous some would say. His throat made an odd noise, which she ignored before feigning sleep, once again, in hopes that she'd actually end up drifting off to sleep.

* * *

President Maggur sat perched atop his desk, papers askew, all with the faces of the three officers he had trapped in his cells. President, he snorted, if only they knew. But they wouldn't, and by the time they knew, it'd be too late, all hope lost for the fools. Neglecting him, _HIM,_ Maggur Rathusuk. He growled, low in his throat, no one would ever forget his name. Not ever, and they would cower in fear, they would neglect to repeat his name aloud in fright, for they all had to pay. They all must pay for what they did. How could _they _think that they were better than him? They were pathetic, just as pathetic as their parents. Intervening with the petty mortals, didn't they realize it would just make matters worse to help the scum that he was forced to surround himself with everyday. Didn't they realize that he had powers beyond their belief and he was willing, actually _willing, _to help them out, to be on their side. But they humiliated him, ruined his name, all mortals mocked him now. Not as Maggur, but as another name. Yes, he was known, but they all thought him dead, thought him forever extinguished, to enter no realm ever again.

He looked at the photo of the curly haired man, useless. Absolutely useless to him, he was just a plain mortal. Nothing like the man in the next photo. This man would help him. Man, he scoffed, he is no man. He is…

* * *

Kel stood, feeling a strange ever present warmth all around her. She looked down; she was still wearing the outfit of navy jeans and red sweatshirt, hair still pulled up in a messy bun. She cocked an eyebrow at her state before turning around to look at the room. She jumped. She was not alone, there was a man sitting perched atop his desk, rummaging threw files with a vicious somewhat senile smile across thin lips. But he was handsome; Kel had to give him that, even if he was, in her opinion, below scum. A maggot he was, as President Maggur of Scanra was the man atop the desk. She growled low in her throat at his present.

Strangely she felt another presence in the room, a much stronger presence. She looked over to the right, and saw a woman, decked in a rich silk green toga, barefoot, long layers of red trailing behind her…wait, red. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. What the HELL was Liz of all people doing here with her in the same room as Maggot? Liz cocked her head, and Kel jumped at the sight, as she got to see her eyes more clearly. They were pitch black, and Kel could have sworn that when she looked long enough into her depths she saw moving images as if Liz's eyes were a great big movie screen. She rubbed her eyes and smacked herself in the head, trying to rid herself of the insanity she presumed she had.

Liz strode over, she obviously had no sign of Kel's existence as did Maggot, and it seemed he had no idea of the other two's presence. She bent double over peering at the files, her eyes widened slightly and Kel caught a quick glimpse of the familiar amber eyes before they shifted back to the darkened depths of black. She turned, still bent over, and when she spoke it was in a booming sing-song voice, one that Kel had never heard leave Liz's lips. "I know you're here Protector, take a closer look at this man, look at what he holds," she gestured to the files, and tried to hand one to her, but her hand plowed through the table. Kel could hear muttered curses at Liz's failed attempts.

Kel strode over, eyes never leaving Liz, or whatever this version of Liz was. She was so interested in Liz's appearance she bumped into the table and gasped as it shook. Maggot looked up, from his rummaging. And then Kel knew, he couldn't see nor hear, it was like she was a ghost, except she could feel. Maybe, she mused, Dom's reckless driving finally killed me.

She looked down at the papers on the oaken desk. Papers askew, all with three names, but two were repeated over and over again, more than the third. She looked up at Liz, eyes still black, and fingers still trying to grope the pages and quickly averted her eyes. It was pretty hard not to scream, as the woman some inches away from her was thought missing or dead, some of the other officers at HQ even said we'd never see her again.

Finally Liz gave up, crossed her arms and made to lean against the wall before remembering that she'd only fall through it. "Damn visions," she muttered under her breath, and Kel thought her eyes may have rolled but it was impossible to tell as they were an endless eerie black.

Kel finally caught a glimpse of the first photo. A familiar mop of curly sandy brown hair flopping into grey eyes was one of the pictures askew. Kel felt her heart pang. So the Scanrans really did have Owen. In the picture Owen grinned, his usual overly jolly self.

Some files over Kel's hazel eyes found emerald green that seemed to follow you wherever you stood. He had a cheeky grin, and this was of his TPD I.D. as Kel recognized his buzz cut he'd had then, clearly showing his widow's peak.

And then Kel's eyes met layers of auburn and amber brown eyes. Freckles danced everywhere on her pale flesh. She grinned, an expression that clearly stated she knew something the photographer knew not.

Liz jerked her head over to Kel. "You will find them, well us really," she said, voice starting to sound familiar, "you must find us Protector, you know where we are, we don't need your help in rescuing I can do that fine, I just need here. There are some things that need settling…" And with that the image of a toga clothed black eyed Liz slowly faded into nothingness, as did the room and President Maggur. Kel looked down at herself and saw her own flesh disappear. She gasped in astonishment repeating the phrase_, "What the fuck!"_ over and over again in her head.

And then she felt her body grow icy cold and she felt drenched, she bolted half way up from her seat. Wait, since when was she sitting. She looked up and met wide blue eyes. It was Dom, his nose touching hers from his haste at thinking her dead. She blushed and jerked further back into her seat, trying to keep her cool down. Dom quirked an eyebrow at her, his usual personality peeking through, "What the _hell_ happened to you? I mean I look over and you're passed out, I tried to wake you up to tell you we're at the hotel, but you won't wake. First you have a fever, and then I notice you weren't breathing, and your heart stopped too. And then you went cold," he rubbed his eyes, face still only an inch from hers, "I swear, I'm going insane."

Kel let out a shaky breathe. Not as insane as I am, not as insane as me, she thought. He smiled slowly down at her and Kel cleared her throat, "…well, I guess we're here…"

Dom blinked and pulled back from atop her, she could see a faint blush on his now rough cheeks, as he hadn't shaved in a while. She closed her eyes and stood up, pushing herself up from the pavement, as for some reason Dom had removed her from the car and placed her on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. Scanran passerbies were giving the two dirty looks, obviously thinking the worst of what they'd just done.

Some moments later Kel walked groggily into their hotel room, glad they wouldn't have to share a bed, only a room. But still, she'd rather have a room to herself to ponder on her insanity.

Really what was going on with her? And what was that strange peculiar look in Dom's orbs? Depression? As she knew he was depressed, uncertain of what to do with himself at the moment. But she knew it was just a stage of his grieving, and he'd get over it. She hoped. She plumped down on the overly springy mattress and looked over at Dom, he held his head in his hands and his elbows were planted firmly on his knees. She could hear his shaky breathing, and she knew he was thinking of Liz. Thinking of the ways he could have prevented this whole damn mess. Thinking of ways in which she could be sitting along with them and chatted away as she once had. Wishing that he could go back in time to his favorite memories, before the incident. Before Liz went into her own depression. And a time when he had both of his best friends beside him at all times, even at work.

Kel let her own sigh escape now chapped lips from the cold Scanran air, it was nearing winter. She knew he wanted to be in a different time, a different place. And she felt a pang in her heart at the thought. Wait, why should she care if he didn't want to be here? They were only partners after all, slightly friends. Now that she thought of it, she had no idea of what the man on the other bed thought of her. Were they even friends? Did he think of her in that way? Or did he just confide in her when his friends weren't around, as they were partners?

"GAH!" she shouted and clapped a hand to her mouth afterwards. She was insane. She couldn't sort through her thoughts. She couldn't untangle all this emotions. Her stomach clenched at the thought. She'd always been able to tell what was wrong with her. She'd always been able to control every movement in her body. And now, at times she couldn't. _'You're just thinking too much on the mission,' _she thought. That was it. That's what was wrong with her. That was the reason for her newfound insanity. For the _dream_ as she'd had was from her only thinking of finding Liz, Neal, and Owen.

She laid back, messy bun going askew on the old, somewhat moldy sheets. She closed her eyes and felt her chest move up and down from her heavy breathing. It was hard to be insane. Hard to know that you'd once been sane, and had lost your mind within a time frame of almost three months.

A voice, unrecognizable to her, even if it was her own, rang quietly in her head, as she began to doze off. _'Idiot, you're not insane, you've got a…'_

And Kel shot up from the mattress immediately, knowing full well what the voice, her own conscious was about to say. She shook her head furiously, looking much like a dog, hoping that it would make what was clearly fact untrue.

_'No,'_ she thought while peering over at her now room-mate, who'd fallen back against his own bed, face still in his hands. _'Couldn't possibly, no not all, I'm just losing touch with my feelings, it's just that I haven't been with anyone in a long time,' _she thought desperately inside her head.

She stared at Dom, and felt her heart quicken in her chest. She shook her head; he was just extremely handsome was all. Nothing of the sort. She held no feelings for the man, except possibly friendship. She couldn't possibly have a…

And then she looked at him closely, his hands falling from his face as he had finally drifted off to sleep. She stared at his long wide tipped nose; she could faintly make out soft fading freckles on it. And she looked at his firm jaw line, and suddenly imagined herself fingering it. She shook her head and smacked herself for the mental image. That was bad, horrible; it was just because he was the nearest man in the room.

That was it, it could have been anyone else, it was just because of…but she stopped her internal ranting and raving and felt a goofy smile plaster itself on her face. His hair flopped into his closed eyes as he turned, facing Kel completely. She felt her stomach do flip flops as she gazed at his features.

No, she thought as she drifted off to sleep, body facing towards his as she was still watching him. She couldn't possibly have fe-

And her eyes closed, allowing her to drift to bliss and peaceful sleep. She never finished the last train of thought.

* * *

**AHA! And what could Kel's _insanity_ possibly be? I'll give you a virtual coupon for whatever you please if you get it right, and major props from me. If you can't figure it out, you might be a little youngun' (as my friend Helen would say).**

**Anyways I finished this chapter…THREE days earlier than planned. So klutzyspaz you can put your torture devices away (it would make me feel a lot more comfortable…hehehelaughing nervously)**

**Anyway I want to think everyone that has review in this chapter, you guys are awesome, even if some of you, not mentioning any names, have threatened me, so here it goes:**

**klutzyspaz- like I said I finished this chapter earlier than promised**

**LandUnderWave- thanks for all the reviews they made me happy! I give you a virtual hug!**

**AikiaRiyen- I hope that you're able to get the chapters and it's not all screwed up for you, wherever in the world you are**

**nicolerenea- thank you, thank you, thank you, virtual hugs around**

**SarahE7191- I looked in my Realm of the Gods book and it didn't have anything about mithros and the mother goddess being related, but it did have Gainel as one of their brothers, but I might not have looked hard enough, sorry for the confusion**

**And thanks to everyone else who reviewed I'd put you down as well but I don't have time. So next chapter I'll thank you. And if anyone is definite on their knowledge of the relationship between the mother goddess and mithros humor me. Even if they end up being brother and sister I stick with my story the way it is, it has to do with the plot and I'm going to be stubborn and not change it crosses arms across chest and nods somewhat fervently.**

**Much love,**

**redpheonix**


	13. The Others and Guarire

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: ok, chapter 13 will be up soon, either today or tomorrow. I just went through my books thoroughly and I was completely wrong, Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess are DEFINITELY brother and sister. So because I didn't want to confuse anybody, I changed parts in chapter eleven, I advise you to go back and reread the chapter so the following chapters and the plot will make sense. I changed my plot and everything so you guys wouldn't be confused. Sorry to everyone that knew they were right, I was being stupid when I wrote that they were her parents, now REREAD ch.11 and check soon for the author's note to be replaced with ch.13 (it will be called The Others, and should be up in one or two days depending on how fast I can clean a house, gag me) anyways I apologize to SarahE7191- you were completely and utterly right, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, I fixed chapter eleven just for you after I scanned through my books, thanks for telling me about that, I really appreciate it.(from the author's note I had posted here before

**Ok, in this chapter you find out what is happening at HQ and who Guarire is. READ!**

* * *

**Ch.13 The Others and Guarire **

Joren strode without his usual air of purpose down the gloomy halls, hand fingering his gun absently. He was worried; he hadn't seen Dom or Kel in the cafeteria once, they were the few of the group that still entered the cafeteria even if they went alone. So there he was on Dom's floor walking towards the man's dorm, ready to kick the door open if he had to. He was tired of being separated from everyone else, tired of himself being angry all the time. His hands still ached daily from his fight with the wall. He knocked once; no answer; twice; still no answer. He waited, thinking his one time friend might still be asleep even if it was only evening.

Some minutes later, he still stood there, just waiting and waiting. He could feel his usual anger boil in his veins just waiting to burst out and scare the crap out of the next person that walked by. So he knocked again, now hammering the door causing it to groan against its hinges. Still no answer, not even a groan or cursing for him to leave, not even a note of some sort explaining his absence. He shrugged and knew what he was about to do might seem rude in peoples eyes, especially that bossy girl Kel who he was forced to work with. His eyes narrowed as he thought of her, but he'd have to try and talk with her as well to know where everyone was. He punched Dom's keypad with the code he'd memorized. The door swung open, revealing no sign of life. He cupped a hand around his thin lips and called out for Dom. Still no answer. He closed the door for some sort of privacy even if living in the TPD dorms was just asking to have your personal life be pried apart.

Before wandering further around Dom's abode, he strode over to the kitchen. He was hungry, he shrugged, he was always hungry it seemed, but it didn't matter it wasn't as if he was obese, he had the slender body of a runner, and his metabolism was in great shape, it had yet to defy him. He grabbed the essentials from the fridge and called out for Dom, mouth still full. No answer once again. This irked him, causing him to slam his fist against the counter and drop all items of food. He walked to the bedroom and froze at the sight. Dom's bed was made. Since when did stuff like this happen? He shook his head and his icy blue eyes scanned his surroundings. The closet door was wide open, hangers everywhere on the floor, the dresser drawers were still pulled out, and clothes hanging on the floor, but most of it were missing. He blinked; surely Dom wouldn't just disappear with out telling his squad. Wait, he thought, they were a squad no more, as they were all safely back in HQ, with the exception of Liz, who was missing. His jaw clenched and his fingers curled into fists at the thought. He shook his head; it would not do to think about that now.

He crawled around the piles of dirty clothes like a cat, searching for some clue about his disappearance but none met his eyes. He peered into the bathroom, but Dom was not their as well, and most of the items in the bathroom were gone as well. He scratched his head as he closed Dom's dorm room behind him. An image of a hazel eyed girl with brown hair entered his thoughts. Light bulb! He'd ask Kel, she knew everything, and she was always in everybody's business. Surely she'd know, thought Joren, she's the know-it-all above all know-it-alls.

Once again, Joren found himself staring at another dorm room, but the hall a bit brighter, and he heard chatter from the other rooms. He knocked slowly, afraid he'd made a mistake by bothering her, after all this would involve talking to that annoying and bothersome girl. He sighed in relief as she didn't answer, but forced himself to knock again. He jumped as a plump face poked through the next door. The girl's curls of midnight black falling through the crack, and she smiled warmly and seductively at him. Joren grimaced and took a step back. "Can I help you?" she asked, chubby hand twisting around her curls.

Joren rolled his eyes, "Where's Kel?"

The girls face drooped, she obviously thought he was there for more than just suspicion to be with Kel. "She left."

"Um…what do you mean she left?"

"She went on another mission, do you-"

But she never got time to finish the question; Joren knew what she would say and wanted to flee there as fast as he could, so he was now racing down the halls. He dashed down the halls, happy for his easy flight, but confused that Kel would be sent on a mission, which would mean Dom would be sent as well. Why hadn't they said anything or left a note? A voice, a part of his conscious that always sounded like Liz said, "Because you were always an ass to our dearest Keladry and you and Dom haven't been the same since…" His train of thought was interrupted. He fell onto his back after he fully body slammed someone in the hall. He didn't bother to get up, and the other person didn't either. He tried to make out the figure through his blurry image, but he could not. He heard the figure wheeze as he got up, still sitting on the floor, and began massaging his temples.

And as his vision cleared he put the blurry blobs together and his eyes made out Lerant. He bit his tongue, trying to prevent himself from letting a long line of curses flow from his mouth. And then as quickly as the anger came, it left him. The poor man beside him looked so miserable, his eyes downcast, he still lay sprawled across the floor, his chest barely moving with each breathe. Joren sighed as he pushed himself up from the floor and held out a bandaged hand to the man on the floor. Lerant took no notice of the gesture, he did nothing except breathe every once in a while. He rolled his eyes as he grabbed Lerant by both shoulders and forced him up into a standing position. "Get a grip old man," he said while eyeing him. Joren's frown only deepened as his eyes grazed over the depressed man more. His shirt was on backwards, his hair a complete and utter mess, his shoe laces untied, huge bags stood out form under his eyes, and there were actually frown marks near thin chapped lips.

Joren grimaced as he grabbed the man's wrist, they were going to have a serious talk now and Joren wouldn't stop until his one time friend was back to normal, all thoughts of Dom and Kel's mission were gone, his old friend was sick, and there was no one else to help him.

* * *

Neal opened groggy eyes; he was fed up at being held captive. He looked down at his handcuffs; he was fed up with those as well. They not only bound him from using his hands, but from using any magic at all, his wrists were also beginning to chafe. Any movement caused pain to shoot from his wrist to his hands or to his forearms, ending all the way to his shoulders. He looked across the room, prepared to meet the now usual saddened grey eyes of Owen, but he didn't see them.

His emerald orbs flickered around the room. Where was he? As a matter a fact, where was _he?_ Neal had no idea where he was. He was still hand cuffed, but the chains no longer connected to the wall, and there was no wall. There was no cold filthy floor, no metal bars that separated them from the guards, no tiny window with slim rays of light, and no Owen. There was absolutely nothing, just endless darkness, and he felt extremely warm, which was strange, as their cell was always cold.

He called out in a hoarse whisper, as he was losing his voice from the harsh conditions. No reply. There was just silence. Neal growled he hated silence; it was always the calm before the storm. As if someone read his thoughts, the storm came. Or rather two willowy figures came. One nearly a foot shorter than the other wore a red toga, her golden hair fell down in tight curls past her shoulders and she wore a golden circlet around her forehead. The other, the more willowy figure, lay sprawled across the nothingness. Her hair was auburn and fell to the small of her back, a crown of various flowers fell to the nothingness floor, and her green silken toga bunched up underneath her. Her voice was pleasant and sing-song, "That went well," she snorted into the ground of nothingness. Her companion chuckled lightly before straightening herself and standing with an air of purpose.

The auburn haired woman stood straight and began patting her hair down. Her eyes flickered across the nothingness until she saw a tall man with handcuffs on his wrists that attached to nothing. His clothes were dirty, and dried blood covered his skin from below his mouth to his chin. His hair was dark brown and limp and rested around a widow's peak and his emerald eyes looked thoroughly confused. Liz cocked her head to the side, one hand resting on Helen's shoulder for support as her mind was still whirling. She opened her lips and was about to say something when her entire body froze. Helen's shoulder felt the icy hands of Liz and jumped. She whirled around and saw the toga bedecked Liz still as a statue, one hand grasping onto nothingness where her shoulder had been, mouth opened slightly, and the frightening black eyes.

The man's eyes widened and he cleared his throat. The ends of Helen's lips turned down into a frown, on their entire journey over here Liz kept being called over to the Realm of the Dead, and it was becoming very annoying. She sighed and sat down on the nothingness, she looked over at the bewildered man and sighed, "This should take awhile."

* * *

Liz looked around. She was in a vast jungle with plant life every which way. It would have been hard for her to get around, but she could touch nothing as if she was a ghost. And all of the greenery was currently inside of her, but she felt nothing. She heard the crunch of dead jungle leaves on the ground and looked over. There was a tall lean man. His hair was cropped short and was tousled over a widow's peak. He wore green tunic and leggings with a brown undershirt and boots. He almost faded into the array of plant life. His eyes were vivid emerald orbs that swept in the entire canopy. A long emerald hilted sword hung from his hip. A taut rosewood bow was worn over his head and left should along with a quiver full of arrows. He didn't have his blade drawn to chop at the various vines, because for some reason they all moved out of his way. The entire flora parted a clear path for him after they tried to touch him. Leaves and twigs found their way atop his unruly hair. He had a smug grin on his face as he trekked through the jungle.

Liz cocked her head to the side; this man looked like a taller and healthier version of the man in the nothingness she'd just been in with Helen. The man yelled while stopping and looking up at a tree ten feet from him. "Show yourself, I know you're not a silly panther."

Liz gasped as a midnight black panther, with amber eyes the same exact shade as her leapt from a branch of a nearby tree onto the lowest branch of the tree only five feet from the man now. The panther moved slowly back and forth across the branch, showing a shoulder with an eye tattooed on it, the eye blinked every so often and its iris changed color. Her eyes widened as she looked at her own bare shoulder, with the same mark on it as the panther.

"On with it!" roared the man, "I will not be fooled!"

The panther's purr turned into a laugh as it transformed from a sleek panther to a woman lying across the branch. Her bare feet dangled to and fro from the branch and her laughter continued to shake the tree. She wore a green silken toga with a slit down the right thigh, Liz looked down at her own clothing, and it was the same. And Liz saw the same tattoo on the woman's bare shoulder as her own. They also had the same auburn locks that trailed down to the middle of their backs. The only difference in appearance was that the woman in the tree had a crown of flora, and that was because Liz's still remained on the floor of nothingness.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" the man asked, leaning against the nearest tree trunk.

The woman crossed her arms across her chest, "I have nothing to say, at least in this situation. I'll speak when and where I want to. Have you even the slightest clue who I am?"

"No, not really," drawled the man, "I don't recall ever seeing you before. If you don't belong to this realm I suggest going back where you came from, Mithros won't be too happy."

The woman threw her head back and laughed, causing birds to fly from their nests. "Mithros should have learned by now to leave me be."

"You speak lightly of him. Why?"

"He is my brother, is he not? You obviously don't know who I am. But then, who does? Both Mithros and Mothers have kept me locked away from everyone. They say I cause too much trouble, but I'm not half as bad as Uusoae. Don't you think so?" she asked while turning to lie on her back, leg swinging to and fro like a child would.

"That depends, who are you?"

She sighed, "Then again, I am always forgotten, being the youngest and all. Did you know there's not even ONE damn temple for me? Not one! Which is why I've been, let's say, giving the Black God a helping hand with all the Seers. You would thank they'd all at least go together and make at least a shrine for me. But no. I tried to be nice," she said and gave a lopsided grin as she remembered. She growled in frustration, "Mithros said I needed time to _think_ over what I've done. I only killed all of the Seers in this century, there will be more. Maybe they'll learn. They weren't that horrible of deaths. Of course, I did make some of them murdered. But those mortals deserved it; they were the Seers that gave their visions to kings and emperors without even so much as _thanking_ me. They were all my visions of course, and I gave them away freely. I thought they'd at least thank me; show a little gratitude as I helped saved their kingdoms but no. Nothing, notta."

The man mock bowed, "So it is the lovely Vidi that stands before me. Tell me, how did you get away?"

She laughed, "The Tortallans and the Gallans are at it again, with my help of course," she gave a sickeningly sweet smile to him, "they'll ignore my chambers for…well at least a good two or three months. Now I can play."

"I'm guessing Queen of Seers that you already know who I am."

The woman swung down from the branch. Her amber eyes changed to complete and total black. Then they shifted back to amber. "You Lord of Emerald Blades," she joked, "are Guarire, a minor Healer God. You protect the healing plants and grant those who pray to you boons of the herbs. I see you're on another venture for aloe is it? Yes, well, let's make a deal," she said while holding out a hand.

"And what sort of deal?" he asked while raising a brow.

"I'll help you find all you need. I'll be your…assistant as long as you don't rat on me. What do you say Master of Herbs? I can also show you everything that's going on in your lands far far west."

He bowed, "Thank you Queen of Seers, it will be my pleasure. Now, where is the aloe on this side of the realm?" She gave a sly smile while hooking her arm around his and leading him further down the jungle trail that parted easily for him.

* * *

Liz fell down on the nothingness, gasping for breathe. She couldn't believe it. That was here, as a Goddess in the Realm of the Gods. How could she be so heartless and cruel? She must have killed thousands, just because she had no temple.

And her eyes widened as she looked over the gaping man, he had no clue of what he was. Her body trembled as she held out a hand to him. He took it slowly and her voice quivered as she spoke, "We meet again Guarire."

* * *

Wolset stood, jaw hanging open and unblinking. Before him Joren had his arm around Lerant and they were singing old songs while swaying to the sloppy beat. Joren held a beer in one hand and gulped the rest of it down. As they both sang, their speech slurred in their drunken states. Wolset could barely catch what they were saying, their speech was so terrible. But he knew what they were talking about. They were clearly badmouthing all women and every once in a while Lerant would say something rude about Liz and tell a quick story about something stupid she'd once done.

The rest of the bar watched, these two were their entertainment.

Once everything settled in to Wolset he laughed. What idiots! What was even funnier was that the other day he'd been listening to Joren rant on about his hatred for the man he was now slurping down beer greedily with. He shook his head as he pushed his way through the crowd. "SHOW'S OVER!" he yelled above the horrid singing. The crowd booed but let him in none the less. He pushed the two tall classes of beer from his comrades and first turned to Joren. He smiled widely as he punched his best friend in the head, knocking him out. He was about to do the same for Lerant, when he noticed a stream of drool falling from his open mouth. Lerant had passed out all on his own.

After two trips, Wolset had placed his two friends in the back of his car. The entire drive back to HQ he was shaking with laughter. He couldn't wait till tomorrow; he was going to have fun rubbing it in. After he placed both men on Joren's couch he went into the kitchen and begin his planning on his first prank in years. Yes, Wolset was back in business.

* * *

Thanks for reading, next chapter is going to be kel and dom

much love,

redpheonix


	14. Conversations With Your Patron Goddess

**Ch.14 Conversations With Your Patron Goddess**

Kel opened the bathroom door ajar after toweling her hair dry and putting on a new set of clothes. She began to finger comb her slightly dripping hair and her forehead creased in thought as she pondered on how long it would take to get to the scene of the crime. Or in other words, how much longer it would take till they found their first clue. The two of them, Kel and Dom, had just entered Scanra and Kel was unsure of which hotel number this was, but she knew it was in double digits. She was extremely tired of hotels, and of having to switch from sleeping on a shitty bed to a decaying sofa.

She threw the towel in the tub behind her, as was required for it to be later washed, and stretched, her arms extending towards the ceiling. It looked as if she was trying to reach for the stars, she mused.

A faint smile touched her lips, that was until she saw a certain partner of hers. His eyebrows were in a deep scowl, and she could tell he was thinking. He was thinking about things that would only make him angrier. She sighed and took long strides over to the brooding man.

She rested a hand gently on his shoulder, pushing all thoughts of the warmness rising in her cheeks and within herself. "Dom…do you want talk about it?"

He jerked his shoulder from her grasp and leaned against the wall, bumping his head against the wall every so often. "Come on grumpy, talk, it'll make you feel better." She put her hands on her hips and raised a brow, waiting.

"Just leave it Kel," he grumbled.

"Talk, you'll feel better," she persisted and nudged his leg with her foot. "Come on," she drawled, sounding like Neal, "you know you want to."

He huffed, causing his now unruly hair to get off his face. "You already said that, and just leave it."

She smiled and sniffed, she was starting to get a cold from the Scanran winter, "You already said just leave it. And no I won't, you need help. So talk. If you think I'll make-"

"STOP nosing around in other people's business _Kel_," Dom roared, causing Kel to step back. "All you ever do is nag, are you trying to be everyone's Mother, because if you haven't noticed we're all adults here."

"Maybe I wouldn't bother you about it if you'd face your problems like a man and stop being such a downer all the time!"

He snorted, "What would _you _know about being a man, or is there something you've been hiding from everyone all along_ Keladry,_ if that is your name."

She frowned, "You're just trying to get the attention off of you and on me. Well it's not working mister. Just tell me what's wrong damn it!" She was beginning to lose her nerve, especially around this gloomy fellow officer.

"I said stop nosing in other people's business. Now leave me alone and find something useful to do for once."

"Excuse me," she said through gritted teeth. "What have I done that's not useful?"

"Ah, the question my dear is what have you done that is useful?" he questioned.

She frowned, "You're impossible. I'm leaving." She said while putting shoes and socks on. She heard him snort and begin a tirade of curses all involving her name at the end. Once that was done she flung the hotel door open and was about to leave when…

"FINE!" Dom burst, and a smug look crossed his handsome face, he'd gotten the last word. He won.

Kel gripped the handle of the hotel room door harder and lifted her chin up and slammed the door. She didn't have to waste her time with immature men, especially immature handsome…

"GAH!" could be heard as her feet pounded towards the stairs, it would take too long to get outside if she was to use the elevator, and stairs would do. As she ran down the two flights of stairs, she grabbed her damp hair and began to swing it up into a messy bun to keep it from whacking her in the face every so often.

Eventually she made it to the sidewalk in front of the hotel, the streets were deserted. It was quiet, too quiet. She cringed at the thought, but continued with her steady pace none the less. She met no other pedestrians as she past abandoned store after abandoned store. The sun had already set and her light came from the moon that showed clearly through the fading clouds.

She picked up her pace, feet barely having enough time to touch the gravel sidewalk, dead leaves crushing beneath her with every gentle touch. The more she thought about that _man_, the angrier she began. How dare he? She was just trying to help; she wasn't prying into his life. She just wanted her partner to be in everything one hundred and fifty percent. She wanted him to be back to normal, not some grouchy man that spent his time brooding over things he had no control over.

The further down the sidewalk she went, the more immersed in her thoughts she became. So immersed in her tirade she became that she didn't notice a figure jogging along beside her at the same exact pace. "As much as I'd just _love_ to be out here on a nice stroll with you, I'd prefer that we actually run."

Kel turned her head. She saw the image of Liz she'd seen before. She wore a crown of various flowers atop her layers of auburn that fell to the small of her back. She wore a green silken toga and on her bare left shoulder was a tattoo of a blinking eye. Her feet were bare and she didn't even flinch as they ran over the gravel sidewalk. When the image of Liz saw her staring she gave a smirk, "Like what you see, eh? I was rather certain you liked your men blue eyed and a tidbit insane, but hey I'll take what I can get." She laughed, and tilted her head back, emitting cackles that at times sounded like a pack of hyenas during a hunt but then at the same time sounded like the purr of a large cat.

"No, I'd rather you leave me be, so I'll just ignore you," Kel said and ran ahead. But the image of Liz caught up easily with one stride. Kel cursed and tried to speed up so much that she couldn't keep up, but it wasn't working.

"Didn't my mortal self tell you about how I was on the track team? You can't be the best at everything Protector," the image of Liz said.

Kel snorted, "You're still a mortal. But you're not real, you're a mirage."

"No, no, no. It's avatar. Well, my avatar body is…well I'm not sure. But I'm here because you needed me? At least your distress pulled me here. This will be hard to explain back there. I wonder, is this Liz girl quick on her feet."

"Some would say," Kel said, "but why are you speaking about yourself in third person. The correct grammatical term to state about you is I. Get it straight, _Liz_."

"Ha, ha, ha, really Kel, they told me you were a thinker. But I'm guessing I was sorely mistaken then.

"Did you just call me stupid?" Kel snapped.

"You implied it that way, I never said those words," the image of Liz said.

"Wha- who- who are you?" Kel stammered.

The image of Liz picked up a speed that Kel couldn't match; she twirled around and began to run backwards. Kel's eyes widened as the image of Liz curtsied while running backwards, that must have taken a while to learn, she thought. "Forgive me for dreadful manners, Mithros was never one for etiquette," she laughed and took a quick glimpse up at the sky, seeing something Kel could not. "I am Vidi, your patron Goddess," she cocked her head, obviously thinking Kel had heard of her.

Vidi frowned as Kel stopped and doubled over in laughter, "Sure…and I'm a Goddess as well."

Vidi stopped and folded her arms across her chest. "Is this how you thank me? All of the things I've done for you? Fine, you'll just have to kill Blayce, Stenmun, and Maggot on your own. No help whatsoever. I really thought-"

"Wait, _I'm_ supposed to kill Maggot and his lot? That's rich," Kel laughed.

Vidi opened her mouth to say something, but closed it thinking better of it. Then she stomped her foot on the gravel and her voice shook the ground, "YOU WILL DO AS I SAY PROTECTOR, AND IF YOU NEED _PROOF_ I'LL GIVE YOU PROOF!" By now, Kel was on the floor, her eyes wide in fright. Vidi smiled and grabbed Kel's hand, "To the Realm of the Dead we go!" Kel's eyes widened and she nearly felt her heart stop at the thought of a _friendly_ visit with the Black God.

Kel felt as if she stood near an open stove, she was warm everywhere and she wished the Goddess would still hold onto her arm, because she was strangely cool. "Come, there's things you must see before he finds you." Kel followed quickly, knowing very well that he meant the Black God.

"Am I dead?" she asked, frightened.

The chuckle of hyenas escaped the Goddess' lips that looked to always been in a pout. "No, but you are in the Realm of the Dead…stop that!" she said and clawed at the ghosts that were trying to pull Kel towards them like a lazy panther. She growled and grabbed a hold of Kel's hand, "Honestly, they just get stupider each time I visit!"

Kel gave a nervous grin and followed the Goddess down the path. "How can it be so warm if everything's frozen?"

"Hmm? Oh, about that, it's just how your body reacts to the Realm of the Dead; I'm used to it of course. But I am a Goddess, so..."

Kel nodded and screamed as she felt the ground beneath her gone. She looked down and saw that they were falling down a cliff. She was tumbling to and fro, hitting the cliffs rocks while her companion, the Goddess, had her legs crossed and her arms behind her head, whistling a tune while she gently floated to the plain grassy slopes. Kel landed with a thud while the Goddess landed gently into a predator's stance. She dusted herself off and pointed towards the other end of the field, "Watch."

Kel looked and gasped. There were large metal creatures with appendages that held various weapons. These creatures were chopping and throttling people of a city, and she saw hundreds of Tortallan troupes dead, their blood in a pool around them. Kel saw the faces of fellow officers she'd befriended, all with various items skewered through them. Kel turned away and emptied her stomach; she felt the cool hands of the Goddess holding her hair back, as her bun had fallen loose during the fall. When Kel was done the Goddess stepped away from her, acting as if she'd never done this good dead.

The Goddess began walking through the city, which Kel knew was in Tortall close to the border with Scanra. Kel jogged after her, not wanting to be lost. Vidi rubbed her chin in thought and stopped so suddenly that Kel fell into her and then fell backwards onto the floor. "Him," she said and pointed to a rotund man with a pimply face and beady eyes. He was sweating profusely and magic flowed from his fingers freely, he was unseen by all except the two watching this massacre.

"Um, why are you showing me this?" Kel asked with a face of disgust in the direction of the unsightly man.

"A gross little bugger isn't he? Just like his soul," commented the Goddess. "Oh, you must kill him."

"WHAT!" Kel yelped.

"Oh, come on, really, you've killed people before, you're an officer, now take on the role of assassin. You have to kill two others."

"I have to kill three, let me get this straight THREE INNOCENTS?" Kel gasped.

The Goddess doubled over with laughter, "Innocents…hahaha….don't you see what he's doing? He's controlling those creatures. He's trying to play the role of a God. You must stop him. You must kill him, and all of these things will die as well. They're connected with him. Now onto victim number two," she said and the image of the ruining city disappeared.

Kel stood still and blinked. "I don't…"

The Goddess whirled around, "You can and you will. You were born to do this. I will not wait another DAMN century for your ancestor, because they are not you. You are the Protector of the Small. He, Blayce, is your enemy. He is killing the small, therefore you must kill him. It's not that hard, it's only three people. You can do it. I will help, of course, as will Guarire and Occhio. You will meet them later of course. But you are my charge alone. I was punished for…let's not speak about that. But I was punished and to be able to enter my home, the Realm of the Gods, I must aid the Protector, that's you. Guarire and Occhio are helping because they got kicked out because of me. I will not be homeless because of a petty mortal! Do you hear me Protector; you will do as I say! I will guide you and show you, and then you will do it. And then I can finally go home. I want my lands back! My people need me! You will kill these three men because they are trying to destroy the mortal realms. If you do not exterminate them, then you will have no home and _YOU_ will die. You are the Protector. I am the Watcher. I am your damn Guardian, and I don't care if you hate me, you were chosen for this task and you must accept. You can't be picky!"

Kel sat on the floor, eyes wide in fright for Vidi's eyes had turned black and she stood taller, more willowy, but she still looked quite strong. "Just one question," Kel squeaked.

"YES?"

"Well, actually two. Number one, by chance what lands do you own?"

The Goddess smiled, "They are not mine, my brother and sister took them from me, as part of my punishment. But I will have them back, as I will have my place in the Realm of the Gods back. The irony of it! My lands are what you mortals call Scanra, that is why they've always been in disarray, once you kill these three I will have my lands back. Once that happens I will be free from my Avatar body completely and I will be back home!"

Kel blinked. "Wait, so once this whole mess is over, Liz is going to die!"

Vidi shrugged, "It depends, maybe so maybe no."

"And you think I'll help you get everything back even if my friend dies?"

"YOU MUST PROTECTOR," she roared and then more quietly, "I will see what I can do with my avatar body. I'm afraid we must part, my brother is coming." She pointed with a freckled hand and Kel turned and saw the Black God, robe billowing as he came towards her. Kel felt the Goddess hold onto her forearm and when she blinked she was back on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. She kissed Kel on the forehead, "Do not fret for your friend, you must continue on your way towards those that have been captured. That is your first task. I will do what I can about the avatars."

"There's more of you?"

But the Goddess had disappeared, and Kel's ears rang with her laughter. Kel plopped to the ground with a thud, she rather wished she was the charge of a Goddess that she was absolutely positive was good.

* * *

Meanwhile in the room of nothingness…

Helen watched in fright as a figure that she was absolutely sure was the Goddess walked with a smirk on her face towards Liz. Liz was limp, she didn't breathe and she had no pulse, her face was dead white, and the man had tried healing her. Helen was still frightened when the man had said in a grave tone, "Her soul is gone."

The Goddess was laughing and she still was as she sank into Liz's body as a ghost would. Instantly Liz's eyes flew open and she began laughing with the voice of the Goddess.

When she stopped, she began gasping for breathe, as she had been practically dead until her soul came back. The man came over, his hands green from his magic and he touched her chest gently to clear her lungs, but at the moment of contact they all disappeared from the room of nothingness.

* * *

**HAHAHAHAHA! That was a cliffy, sort of in my opinion. Next chapter will be called A Day with the Gods, and you'll find out more about Guarire and Occhio as well as Vidi (basically their past and personality). Thanks for reading! REVIEW! (that's a command, not a request, JK)**

**Much love,**

**redpheonix**


	15. A Day With The Gods

**I was finally able to fight for the computer against my sister, who shouldn't be here, and should be on her way to college, grrrr. Anyways I won, HA, so here's chapter 15. Sorry it took so long!**

**Ch.15 A Day With The Gods**

Liz looked around, panting. She groaned, they were back in the Divine Realms, or the Realm of the Gods. She was exhausted, tired, and grumpy. And most of all, she was frustrated that she had grown up her entire life thanking that she was human and had just found out she was an avatar. And she was fed up with the Goddess inside her taking over her thoughts, it was annoying when they visited Kel. Liz had wanted desperately to end all the stupid riddles and tricky language, she wanted to just blurt everything out. But she couldn't, the Goddess was stronger, and she was already weak to begin with.

She looked down; she was still holding the man's hand. Guarire's hand. She blushed and dropped it as if his hand was an oven burner. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and saw that he was inspecting himself with his green eyes. Instead of wearing what was in Liz's opinion regular clothes, he now wore an elegant green tunic with gold trimmings and brown breeches. His boots were the same dark brown as his unruly hair. A large blade hung from his hip on a brown belt. He also had a bow in a brown leather tube across his chest, as well as a quiver full of arrows.

She glanced at herself, and saw the same green silken gown. Helen was dressed in the same crimson red dress/toga. She pushed her crown of fauna from falling into her eyes and raised herself. It was strange, instead of feeling more exhausted from the unexpected journey, she found that she was slowly becoming stronger. She became weary of that fact, now she was certain this all wasn't a drug induced dream. But she wished it was, things would be much simpler than.

She looked over at Helen who was inspecting her bare arms for any grime from the nothingness. Liz rolled her eyes, "You're perfectly fine, nothing's wrong…" she paused. She felt that horribly familiar sensation. It was the sensation that always happened before the Goddess tried to get out. She gritted her teeth and locked her knees to try and steady herself.

"Are you going to finish your sentence?" asked Helen, unsure of what was going on.

"Damn it, not again," Liz said while rubbing her now throbbing temples.

"What? What's going on; are you okay?" Helen rushed over, unsure of what to do in this predicament.

"No, I'm not okay," Liz said in a way of making Helen feel much like an idiot.

She took a step and almost fell back as her entire surroundings whirled around her, until she dropped to her knees before Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess. "Well," she said dryly, "not that that wasn't interesting or anything, or that I haven't enjoyed these 'visits' we've been having, but I really should go back. You see my body is down there," she paused and pointed down, "…locked up in some place, and because my, whatever you'd like to call it, isn't in my body, I have no clue what's going on down there. I mean, if it's anything like jail, people could be raping me, or"

"SILENCE!" Mithros roared. "You always did rant an awful lot, I see our punishment hasn't rid you of that, but maybe you have indeed learned your lesson."

"I'd do anything to be back there, here, let's make a deal. You can go back to the day I was shot twice, kindly put my body back there, and make sure the good guys don't find me and cure me. Just let me rot, seriously I'm fine with that. Just as long as I don't keep having my body possessed and going into the Realm of the Dead with the Black God, who is apparently our brother. Just kindly put my 'soul' back to that time, and let me join ole Blacky. It's a win win situation. Com"

The Great Mother Goddess thrust her right arm out and Liz fell backwards and slid painfully on the floor for around fifty feet. Once her momentum decreased she rested her head against the marble floor painfully and kept hitting it repetitively. She felt cool hands grasp the back of her head lightly to keep her from whacking herself on the floor repetitively and she saw Helen mending her gown that now bore a large slit from abdomen to hip in the side.

Instantly, she felt the Goddess take over, but for some reason, she let Liz keep her mind intact, allowing her to have her usual first person point of view. The only thing the Goddess controlled was the newfound strength Liz found inside herself and her body, for now Liz was standing up. But then the Goddess returned the control to Liz, she frowned; this had never happened before.

There was something different, something immense pumping through her veins. It tingled and gave Liz the sensation that she could do anything. It was like she was on drugs but still had the full mentality in tack. She laughed at herself, this was magic. This was what it felt like, this was how it felt to be a god, or in her case, goddess.

Helen grinned broadly at her master, she was beginning to feel that strange sensation as well. Liz turned to the man, who was now looking at his hands. His entire body seemed to emanate a dark green glow, the same green as his eyes.

Liz whirled around, with newfound confidence. She laughed as she giddily ran towards Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess, the others followed, but at a much slower pace. She felt energy flow through her veins, she wanted to run forever, to see how far she could go, but forced herself to a stop in front of her siblings. She held out her arms and twirled, her gown rippling around her slender legs. "Brother, Sister, can't we just get along?"

Mithros cocked his head to one side. "Do not be foolish Vidi, we must show you what is to be done."

Liz jutted her lower lip out in a pout as Helen and the man came to her side. "Must we? I haven't the slightest clue of what home is like? May we first visit…"

She was interrupted by the Great Mother Goddess. "Yes, I do believe we will began at your…home. It will explain a lot." She snapped her fingers and the lot of them were instantly transported to another part of the realm.

Liz looked around, grinning. There was a flourishing jungle in their midst. And strangely, she found the idea of leaping into a tree and napping a great idea. It was becoming hard not to go with that plan, but she trekked on, following the two gods, her two siblings.

She stopped in her tracks. A myriad of memories rushed her, they were all the goddess' memories. And she felt tears rushing to her eyes, but she blinked them back. There was an immense crater in the leafy jungle. Thousands of trees were burnt, the earth was black and gray, ash was everywhere. She knew what once stood there. Her home, the place that was her home for centuries and it was all gone, and thousands of animal gods that were her friends had died. And she knew why, it happened during her war with her brother and sister.

She jutted her jaw out, teeth clenched in anger. It was strange, she wandered, that something she thought she'd never seen could do this to her. The young man was frowning, his forehead crinkled in thought, and Liz knew memories were swimming in his mind. Finally he spoke, "I don't understand, why me? Why now?" then he turned and looked at Liz, "Why did you call me Guarire? I'm Neal, Nealan Queenscove, not Guarire."

Mithros turned to him, "You are Guarire, at least in the avatar form. You are one of the healing and earth gods."

"Riigghhttttt," drawled Neal.

Mithros eyes flashed and his skin gave off a red glow, Liz was certain this meant he was angry. "Do not think you know better, it is what you are. Now we must show you what has to be done for our punishment to cease."

He spread his large black hands out and stood in the middle of the city sized crater. His sister, the Great Mother Goddess, followed and spread her arms out. A black light emitted from Mithros while a white blazing white emitted from the Mother goddess. Their power touched each other lightly at first, then swarmed away and came back with a great force and a thunderous boom. Liz saw Helen and the man who claimed to be named Neal flinch, but she remained watching them. The power rushed towards each other and formed a marble color and an immense square that slowly became translucent.

For what felt like days the three watched their lives as gods or goddesses. They watched the meeting of Vidi and Guarire, Occhio always just a step behind her master, Vidi. They gazed upon the large image of a fierce battle, in which Vidi transformed into a large panther and thrashed and bit at her siblings, Occhio helped, she transformed into a gorgeous ocelot. And Guarire fought along side them, as a jaguar.

The battle was bloody, all of the gods blood fell onto the earth in a terrible storm of raining blood. But the other gods chose side, and to the trios dismay most of them sides with Mithros and the Mother Goddess. And the ones that did side with the trio eventually surrended to the other side. In the end, the Great Mother Goddess, as a large wolf, slashed at Vidi's muzzle and bit her behind the neck. Vidi also had a gash on her stomach, paining her with each step. Vidi dropped, she was the last remaining, as Occhio lost a leg and Guarire was imprisoned in a magical cage, all the other gods bestowing torture on him.

Liz swallowed hard, bile was churning in her stomach, and she was certain Helen had thrown up when she saw her leg severed. To her amusement Helen was testing her right leg, to make sure it was still there and still worked.

Neal's adam's apple was bobbing as his mind was working every little detail out. Liz wasn't sure if she was shaking or if the jungle was. She continued to watch as she saw various forms of her features and the others be born as avatars, each failing and dying horrible deaths, no doubt by the hands of the gods, as they couldn't find each other.

Liz winced as she saw a plumper, strawberry blonded form of herself be crushed by a beam at a construction site that she was passing. The bile rose as she saw the body go everywhere.

She looked back, Neal was looking green and Helen was giving a look that said, 'better you than me.'

A new image formed on the screen, it was a form of the now present Neal, except he wore a top hat, had grey streaks in his hair and was twirling a cane while bobbing up and down the street, that is until both horse and carriage ran over him, trampling over his body.

Eventually, the various forms of all of them in the past faded from the screen, and it showed a lard of a man, picking at the oily pimpled on his haggard face. Liz jumped with excitement, she remembered this man from the visit she had with Kel. She looked back at Helen, who was trying to find something nice to say about him, but eventually gave up. Neal stood, lip quivering from hidden laughter. Liz raised a brow and turned back to the two gods.

"Well? This is one of the men Kel's supposed to kill, right?" She bounced on the balls of her feet, ready for praise instead of the usual scorn from her siblings.

Mithros opened his mouth, to speak, but Neal blurted first. "KEL! Keladry Mindelan? She has something to do with this mess?"

"Yes, Guarire," said the Mother Goddess through clenched teeth, trying to fight back her anger. "She is the Protector, Vidi is her Guardian, Occhio and Guarire, the both of you are to help her during the battle."

Neal rubbed his face with his hand, "Can't you leave her out of this?"

"If you want to pin the blame on anyone, it would be Vidi," smirked the Goddess.

Liz frowned, no wonder she didn't like her sister, as she'd felt everything the goddess had during the images, frankly, or at least in her opinion, she thought the goddess was pretty close to the bitchy side. But she didn't dare speak a word of it.

"I've already spoken with Kel about Blayce, but what about the other two, who are they, who else is she supposed to…kill." Liz spoke quickly and excitedly, for the goddess wanted the whole mess to be over, she wanted to go home desperately.

The image changed as the Great Mother Goddess waved her hand over it. They now watched a large muscled man, who at the moment held a machine gun. He looked fierce and determined. For some reason he was pointing his gun at various children, who were all in a line, leaving an orphanage.

Then the image changed again. The trio knew who it was. It was Maggot. He sat behind his desk, maps of Tortall and Scanra askew on the old wood. A conniving smile spread across his worn face. He had tiny red dots sprawled across the border of Scanra, and Liz knew they were the areas where Maggot had stations of troops, readying themselves to enter Tortall at his beck and call.

Neal was about to ask something of the gods when the Great Mother Goddess whirled around quick and stood face to face with Liz. "They're coming."

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"In your cell, he's coming for you," the goddess said and Liz could feel herself fading from her mind. She looked over and saw the other two were gone.

She slammed into the cold stone floor, and looked down to see herself in her regular clothes, her hair the same length it had been, to the middle of her back. Helen was sprawled out some yards away from her, dusting herself off. She too wore her usual clothes, and looked the way they had before Liz transported them to the Divine Realms.

Keys could be heard jangling down the hall, and Liz crawled backwards on hands and knees till her back was against the stone wall. A group of nearly twenty guards came to their cell, all grinning foolishly at their captives.

Helen began quivering and Liz knew she'd been beaten repetitively by the guards, maybe even raped. She looked back at the guards as the leader, the man jingling the keys, began to unlock the door. The metal screeched loudly as he opened the gate. The guards swarmed into the cell after him, it was a tight squeeze. Their leader sent only five of them to Helen, and the other fifteen guards to Liz.

Their boss obviously thought Liz was more of a fight. The leader of the guards grabbed Liz furiously, causing her head to slam into the wall, and Liz could feel blood trickle down her neck. She faintly heard Helen struggle helplessly against her own guards. But Liz didn't put up a fight. She wanted to meet this leader, and she couldn't put up a fight if she wanted to. As much as she hated to admit it, she was helpless, especially with fifteen men encircling her.

The leader along with another burly guard pulled her up violently and squeezed her biceps as they dragged her from the cell. Their steps echoed loudly in the hall, but Liz couldn't hear anything, except for a faint ringing in the background. The bars of the other cells began to blur as her eyes rolled back in her head.

**Next chapter is going to be of the trio that has been left behind and Dom and Kel. Review please! **

**Much love,**

**redpheonix**


	16. The Gang's All Here

**Yeah Joren, Wolset, and Lerant are back, so are Kel and Dom! Read and enjoy! No really, why are you reading this crap when the story's much better, go on read, read, read, read, sorry I'm hyper!**

**Ch.16 The Gang's All Here**

Joren slammed into Commander Wyldon's office, the newly sober Lerant and bug eyed Wolset not too far. Wyldon began to choke and splutter on his coffee. How dare his charges barge into his office! At sunrise too!

"I demand you tell me where Officers Keladry and Domitan are…Sir!" Joren bellowed and gave a hesitant salute.

Their commander spit his remaining coffee across the room. "I told you this is your vacation Officers," spat Commander Wyldon.

"Tell. Me. Where. They. Are." said Lerant through clenched teeth as he slammed a still bandaged fist onto the desk. Lerant and Wolset nodded in the background, while Wolset banged the door shut.

"What is the meaning of this?" questioned their now furious commander.

"What is the meaning of sending two members of our squad on their own? And might I add without telling their Sergeant?" Joren knocked his fist against the table again. Wolset jerked his head, a sign to Joren he was going overboard. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself _Commander_," Joren said commander with disgust.

Commander Wyldon knocked over his chair as he abruptly stood up in his rage. "SIT! All of you!"

Lerant began to slide to the floor, but Wolset jerked him up. "Sir, where are they?"

"That's classified information Officer Wolset," Commander Wyldon said, eyes flashing.

"Not when it has to do with _my _squad," Joren said, as he had become the Sergeant since Liz's disappearance. And to Joren it was easiest to pretend the woman who'd been the closest thing to family for him was just on vacation, and might never come back. He bit his tongue to keep the thought of her from his mind. "Tell us Commander, lest we"

"Stop this foolishness this instant Officers. I am your Commander you will listen to me. Have you been drinking? If so, go back to sleep."

"No, we haven't been drinking! Tell us Commander, or, or" Lerant began to stutter, he had no clue of what they would do. Their plan was beginning to crumble.

"We shan't work on your next mission. We'll protest! That's it, protest!" Wolset said, eyes twinkling, he loved protests.

"If you'll stop this foolishness and sit down I'll explain!" roared the Commander.

The trio sat down immediately, Wolset missed the seat of the chair and plopped to the floor. But he didn't make a move to correct his mistake and looked upon Commander Wyldon with greedy eyes, desperate for information.

The commander folded his hands on his desk as he sat down. "Officers Keladry Mindelan and Domitan Masbolle are in Scanra. They are looking for our missing Officers, Nealan Queenscove, Owen Jesslaw, and _Elizabeth Peterson_." He said Liz's name with malice, everyone knew of his hatred for traitors. Lerant flinched at the look in the commander's eye.

Joren shot up from his chair. "Sir, you can't only send two officers! They'll be easily captured like the last two! You've got to send us!" He jabbed his thumb in his chest, "We're going to help, we'll track them down and meet them, then we'll solve this mystery."

The Commander chewed this over, "You'll never make it time."

Lerant gave a giddy smile, "We have our own means of transportation Commander."

* * *

Joren burst into the cockpit, clutching his stomach. His pale face was a light shade of green which caused the co-pilot, Wolset to burst into ruckus laughter. Joren could smell the alcohol from Wolset where he stood. Joren growled, he now understood why Wolset wasn't panicking from Lerant's flying. It wasn't that Lerant was horrible at flying the airplane; it was that he was going awfully fast and whenever he saw fit was making unneeded dives and corkscrews in the air. Joren would give anything to wipe the giddy smiles off of their faces.

Wolset turned to Joren, "You better strap yourself down, and we're landing."

Joren nodded and fumbled over back to the minute compartment in the back, just for two passengers. He buckled to seat belt tightly and clung to the arm rests. In the distance he could hear Wolset giggling helplessly. Joren shook his head, definitely too much alcohol in his blood stream.

Joren lurched forward in his seat during their descent. Lerant was trying to have as much fun as he could with this. Joren rolled his eyes, praying to each god he knew of that he'd survive this flight.

* * *

Kel tossed and turned for the good half of her night's slumber. She kept having dreams of Blayce, Maggot, and Stenmun. In her dreams she saw flashes of what they were doing, and she knew they were visions. The worst one was of Stenmun holding children at gunpoint with a machine gun. And judging by the area surrounding them she knew it was an orphanage.

Kel woke with a start when warm hands slid around her mouth. She thrashed wildly to distract them and hopefully wake Dom, but another pair of hands held her body down. She looked over across the room and saw someone pinning Dom down on the floor, as it was Kel's night for the bed.

A flashlight was turned on and pointed directly into her hazel eyes. She squinted and jumped at what she saw. Wolset's hand was snaked around her head while Lerant had her pinned down. And she could make out another blond head in the light glow over Dom, and she knew it was Joren. Wolset was giving her the giddiest grin she'd ever seen. If his hand wasn't over her mouth, she'd definitely ask if he'd had any drugs recently.

"Hello Dearest Keladry," said Wolset as if they were sitting down for tea.

"Nice of you to drop by," she said icily as he slowly removed his hand. Kel pulled down her cami to a more dignified style. "Why are you here?"

Lerant spoke up after settling himself comfortably on the bed, "To help you."

Kel would have responded but there was a large thump as Joren went flying in the air and landed on his back. Dom sprung up to his feet instantly, frowning. "We were doing fine thanks," grumbled Dom while perching himself on the edge of the end table.

Kel began fiddling with the sheets and pretended to listen intently as Joren began taunting the others and Wolset told of the events that had come to pass while they'd been gone. But something was wrong. Kel could sense it. And she began having that strange extremely warm sensation throughout her body.

She looked down and gasped. She wasn't in the motel room. Joren, Wolset, Lerant, and Dom weren't anywhere. And to make matters worse she wasn't in the same clothing anymore. Instead, she was now in a faded and mud splattered pair of jeans. And the torn sweatshirt was sticking with the sweat that poured freely down her back and neck. Her feet were being dragged carelessly on the ground, the sneaker shoelaces becoming untied.

She felt pressure on both arms and looked around. There were two heavily armed men squeezing the life out of her upper arms as they dragged her. Her head lolled with each step, causing her hair to fall dangerously from the loosening pony tail. She looked ahead. There was another woman being dragged. Her clothes were in the same state as hers. The woman's head lolled unconsciously and Kel could see blood dripping from her open mouth as her head flung backwards. Kel cringed and looked around. The men were carrying them down some hall. The walls were made of stone and coal black metal bars encased beggar prisoners.

A lock of Kel's hair fell, only to find it wasn't her hair at all. And then she understood. She hadn't randomly transported to some other place, or she hadn't fallen asleep during the boys' rambling. No, she was currently somehow strangely inside Liz. And she knew this was the Goddess' doing. It was another clue to finding Liz, and maybe finding Neal and Owen.

For the lock of hair was a color far from Kel's light brown locks. Instead her hair was a dark auburn, the only shade of red Kel had seen on her missing friend, Liz. Her heart, no, Kel corrected, Liz's heart started thumping wildly with excitement. This was it! This was where Liz was. She'd been captured after all. Kel smiled, making Liz smile. And she winced as Liz's lips were chapped from the inhumane conditions of her imprisonment. Kel knew that she'd be able to talk ole Commander Wyldon into giving Liz her job back once she arrived safely to Tortall with the trio.

And then her heart fell, she'd have to send everyone back and somehow remain here. Because it was then she remembered Vidi. Vidi would not let her leave till she'd done as promised. She wouldn't be allowed to leave to her home till she'd assassinated those three cruel men. She couldn't get home until the deaths of Blayce, Stenmun, and President Maggur were on her hands.

* * *

Wolset leaned forward, his face right in front of Kel's. There noses were touching, but he failed to notice. Her eyes. He shivered. Instead of the usual hazel, they were pure black. Black as the night. And she didn't even have the whites of her eyes anymore; instead her entire eyeball was pure black. He touched her shoulder firmly. His hand flew back instantly. She was burning. Her skin was scorching to the touch, and he found that in the scant flashlight rays his tanned skin was turning raw red.

He swallowed hard and slowly turned to the others, whose faces were just as close. "What's going on?" his voice cracked.

Dom held out his hand, about to touch her. But Wolset slapped his hand away. "It burns," he stated in awe.

Dom frowned, "What burns?"

"Her skin, it burns."

Dom scoffed, he thought Wolset was just playing another trick. Of all the times, Dom thought, this was the worse. As much as he loved fun and games, there was no time for such things when a comrade was in danger. Even if said comrade was annoyingly friendly and nosy.

He ignored Wolset's warnings and planted a hand to her throat, to check her pulse. He pulled his hand away instantly, for Wolset was right, it did burn. But in the seconds that he had touched her flaming skin, he'd felt no pulse. His stomach dropped. How were they to explain this? It didn't make sense at all. And then he remembered. On their first day out on the road it had been terribly quiet, but they had chattered to keep the other insane. But then she'd been quiet and he'd asked her if she wanted to eat before they went to the hotel. He'd taken his eyes off the road for a mere two seconds. And what he saw was frightening. Her whole body was rigid and stiff; it didn't even jostle with the occasional bumps in the road. He'd called out her name. But she hadn't responded. Then he drove to the first hotel he'd seen on the highway. Once he was in the parking lot he had jumped out of the car and gone over to Kel. He remembered her eyes; they were the exact black they were now. But when he'd touched her she had been freezing and then she came to.

He'd pushed that memory far from his mind; he thought it was just from driving too much. But now he was unsure. For the same thing was happening again. No pulse, no breathing, the black eyes, and the rigid body. It was all the same signs, including the extreme in her body heat. Something was wrong with her. He turned to the others and barely whispered his next words, "This has happened before."

* * *

Kel, in Liz's body, watched as the men in the front opened the door of a cell on a floor below. The screech of metal was antagonizing, but she'd live. She watched as the man threw the other woman's body in the cell, and then felt the guards who had her imprisoned throw Liz's body along with the other woman. She tumbled across the woman, grinding her teeth as she felt bruising grow bigger from the impact. She looked around the cell unsurely. And what she saw caught the breath in her throat.

Two bodies hung chained to the back wall, they didn't have the pleasantries of the beds like some. The first body was slightly plump from the baby fat of his youth, but he was slowly becoming skin and bones. He had a mop of curls the covered his youthful face. He wore the uniform as the other prisoners did. And Kel realized that the only prisoners to not where the uniform were Liz and this other woman. She swallowed hard as she realized she knew this once jolly man, especially when his saddened eyes rested on her. They were grey, and he had bags under his eyes from the unrest of being chained to a wall. The man chained on the right was Owen Jesslaw.

She tore her eyes to the next chained man, wearing the black of the uniform. His dark brown hair was plastered to his forehead from sweat. His eyes rose to Kel's and she saw the forest green eyes of her best friend through Liz's body. The second chained man was Nealan Queenscove.

The looked around the room to find a man standing in front of the chained prisoners, his back to her. He wore an elegant brown suit and he played with his tie with one hand, with the other he held a whip. Kel swallowed as he turned around. The dark brown eyes bore into hers. The cruel smile that ruined the handsome face leered at here. The baritone voice of President Maggur reached her ears, "How nice of you to drop by Miss Peterson."

And then Kel felt her body leave Liz's and gasped as she entered her own. She knew where to find them, she knew where they were. And the last thought that entered Kel's excited brain before passing out and falling to the carpeted hotel floor was, _Tomorrow I will save them._

* * *

Four male faces, jaws hanging on all of them, watched in awe as their female friend fluttered her now hazel eyes. They watched as she fell from the overcrowded bed to the floor, but no one stopped her descent. They were all baffled at what had just come to pass. And so they sat, each peering into one anothers befuddled gaze for nearly ten minutes before Dom finally left his perch on the bed. He got up slowly and carefully picked up the now chilled body of his partner and set her on the couch. Then he dropped to the floor from exhaustion, their guests could wait.

* * *

**I told you the boys would not be forgotten. Besides why would I ruin the story, and leave them behind? Anyways thanks for reading. Now review, I mean you honestly don't have to. But it does motivate me. wink, wink, nudge nudge.**

**Sorry this chapter wasn't that long, but next chapter is going to be really long, I think, I'm not sure, but if you're thinking this fic is almost over, you're completely wrong. Remember, Kel still has to annihilate those three or face the wrath of Vidi. I'm trembling at the thought. **

**Much love,**

**redpheonix**


	17. Of Cheekiness and a Giddy Kel

**This should have been posted yesterday but I was having technical difficulties (in other words my computer was being a lard)**

**Ch.17 Of Cheekiness and a Giddy Kel **

Nealan Queenscove was completely and utterly confused. Who was this Guarire? Was it really supposed to be him, or was he just being dragged along for fun? And why pray tell did that…Vidi girl look _exactly_ like the girl whose missing? He shook his head. He was crazy that was all. It was just a dream. After all, in these living conditions who wouldn't concoct various and unlikely illusions in their mind? It was much better than thinking of how cold the wall was, or how lost Owen looked. It was better than listening to the growls of his and his cell partner's stomach aches. For the meals were meager and atrocious.

He began to beat the rhythm to an old song with his head against the wall. _Thump. Thump. Thump. THUMP. Thump. Thumpity. THUMP._ Owen moaned. _Thump. Thump. Thump. THUMP. Thump. _Thumpity_. THUMP. _Neal let out a shaky breath as a bruise began to form on his crown.

_Stomp._

He looked up.

_Stomp._

What was that noise? Was it real or was he just imagining it as well?

_Stomp._

He groaned and shifted his weight. He was still uncomfortable. He heard a rattling but he didn't dare move his eyes from his nose. They'd know he was awake. It'd be best to just pretend you didn't exist as he'd learned from this hell.

Two loud thuds met his ears as well as groans that followed. Did he dare look? Might as well, he thought, what could be worse? He cursed himself, that's just asking for something else to happen.

His eyes defied his will, which was growing weaker each minute spent chained to an icy wall. His eyes widened painfully. It was the girl, _the _missing girl. Now all he had to do was get out of here with Owen and they could run like madmen for the border. His conscience, the voice that oddly enough sounded like Kel laughed at him. There was no way it would end like that, or get anywhere close to that. But it was at least a new story he could continue with in his mind out of boredom.

He felt eyes on him, and looked up self consciously. There was something strange about this girl. Her eyes, they were brown, but the look they gave him. She looked at him as if she knew him, and for some reason her eyes looked excited as they bore onto him and Owen. But her face was smooth, showing no emotion, only her eyes. Neal rattled his brain, why did this seem familiar?

Who did that? he asked himself over and over again. Who always hid behind their emotions? KEL! His chains rattled from his excitement.

The man who had followed the thuds into the cell turned his attention to him for a brief second before gazing at the girl with intense hatred and mockery. "How nice of you to drop by," he said to the girl.

And then the emotionless face left, and instead he saw someone who looked more lost than Owen did at the moment. Her eyes flickered over the cell and rested on him for the briefest of moments, in which he realized he'd been wrong. It wasn't a dream, not at all. Everything that had happened from when he entered the strange room of darkness had been true, it had happened. He grabbed the thought eagerly, for he'd been hopeless for days.

The missing woman, whose name he knew to be Elizabeth Peterson, rolled off the other lump of person on the floor. He recognized her as well, what had her name been? Chi? Obi? Occi? He shook his head, did names really matter, he at least recognized her.

The other woman rested on the floor out cold, the man nudged her with her foot, but she didn't move. The missing girl, as Neal called her in his mind, pressed herself against the wall to keep herself upright. She raised a hand, attentively to the back of her head and swallowed hard as blood came to her fingertips. The man, whom Neal had finally identified as President Maggur, gave a cold smile before he spoke.

"Miss Peterson," he said kneeling before the missing girl. "You will tell me what purpose these two men," he gestured to Neal and Owen, "have here in Scanra snooping around."

The girl tilted her head back, for she now had a nose bleed and she spoke thickly through blood. "How the hell am I supposed to know?" she whispered weakly, and Neal now noticed bags under her amber eyes. For all that she whispered he could faintly pick up her words.

"Now, now," Maggot shook his index finger at her, "none of that. Didn't your siblings ever teach you not to curse, especially around those with more authority than you?"

Neal's ears picked up each word hesitantly. He was unsure if he was hearing right. Did the man say siblings? Shouldn't he have said parents, or foster parents, or grandparents, or something of the like? Surely the poor girl wasn't raised by her siblings? Neal frowned, he found he did not like where this was going. If this was in fact real, Neal stopped himself. First he had to believe it was real, and then he could devise an ingenious plan with the help of the other two, maybe even Owen.

"Didn't your parents ever buy a baby name book? I'm sure they could have come up with something better than Maggot, but it does suit you well. Yes, maybe they had no choice. Bobby just wouldn't do would it, or"

Maggot slapped her, jostling her head against the stone wall and causing her nose bleed to pour down her face. Neal winced as the sound echoed throughout the cell. He wasn't sure who had more cheek, him or her? At the moment he was thinking her, for she was obviously in pain but still taunting the man who held her prisoner.

She wiped her face with her sleeve, and Neal noticed for some reason the two girls had not been forced into the uniform of the others. He shook the thought away as he watched her. Her nose wrinkled as she looked at the sweatshirt and her mouth thinned to nearly invisible as she glanced back up at Maggot. "Pity," she spoke thickly, and continued to wipe her face with the now dirtied sleeve, "I really did like this sweatshirt." She looked up and gave a ridiculous smile. "Don't you think it suits me well Mister? Mother always said I looked good in bl"

She couldn't finish the word as Maggot slapped her again. Neal was beginning to think she was insane. Why wouldn't she stop playing with him? Why wouldn't she just lie and get on with it till she was forced to come back in the cell and be questioned. Neal frowned, why were they being questioned here anyway, wouldn't it make more sense for them to go in a room with interrogators?

Neal noticed a slight tremor in her hand as she wiped the blood away again. She ducked her head, and her mane of hair hid her face.

Maggot grabbed a handful of hair, causing her to yelp. He spoke through clenched teeth. "You will answer me bitch. I know you have the power to hear what they're thinking, to know if they lie. I know that if you put one finger on one of them you'll hear their thoughts. Now either do it yourself or I'll force you, wench." He forced her to her feet.

Neal's body shook with suppressed laughter. The girl was at least a head taller than him. Maggot would have done better to have her remained seated. "NOW!" roared Maggot. The girl hesitated and Maggot shoved her forcefully causing her to fall before gripping the wall to support herself. She tilted her head back as she walked towards him.

Neal glanced at her unsurely. She brought a hand to him arm and whirled her head around to face Maggot, causing Neal to get a mouthful of auburn tresses. She spoke suspiciously. "What are you talking about? Nothing, I can't hear any thoughts or anything?"

"Liar! Do as I say!" Maggot took a stomping step towards her.

She flinched and put her hand back down on Neal's arm. He felt nothing as well. He didn't feel a strange presence in his head or hear her saying each and every thought of his aloud. He frowned. The girl had her back turned to Maggot and smiled slyly. Neal wondered now more than the entire episode that had ensued what she was thinking. She winked at him and Neal cocked a brow. Was he missing something? Had he become so idiotic during his time here that he couldn't sense another presence in his own mind?

She spoke with passion in her voice and her head tilted back to stop the blood. She squeezed his shoulder lightly as she turned around partially to face both Maggot and himself. A dazed look crossed her face and she hid her eyes behind her hair. "He…" she paused as if she were taking a brief moment to confer with someone else. "He was sent on a mission."

"Yes?" prompted Maggot.

"To leave Tortall," another pause.

"That's obvious," he said mockingly.

And then she fainted. Neal blanched. What was she doing? He knew she was acting, for she had winked at him alone and hid her face. Maggot couldn't be so dim as to not realizing she was acting, Neal thought.

Neal wondered if steam would come out of Maggot's ears for his face was pure red and his eyes looked crazed. He kicked the girl where she lay on the ground. "UP!"

She did nothing. Maggot turned to him. "You!" he pointed at Neal.

Neal stared at him, "I do have a name," he drawled tiredly. He was exhausted at repetitively being called you by the man before him.

Maggot clenched his fists. "If she won't talk, than this one will." He prodded the other woman with his foot. She didn't stir awake only moved at his touch. Maggot whirled around and punched the stone wall in his anger. Neal cocked a brow as the Scanran president called for the guards to return. Two of the men came in swiftly and threw the girls over their shoulders as Maggot stormed out.

Neal frowned as the echoing of their steps faded into the complete silence that was irritating. Once he was sure they were gone, he turned to Owen. "What do you make of that?"

Owen removed the dazed and lost look from his face and grinned foolishly at Neal. "I think you've finally met your match Neal. How jolly would it be to see the two of you in a fight!" Owen's chains rattled from his bubbling excitement. Then he stopped for the briefest of moments. "Of course if we do get out of here."

Neal smiled slowly, "We will my jolly friend."

Owen nodded and then frowned sadly. "Do you think the other girl is…dead?"

Neal shook his head, "I think Miss Peterson would have been more harsh to our dear friend Maggot had the girl been dead."

Owen smiled, "Any ideas?"

Neal leaned his head back against the wall. "I think I'm on to something."

* * *

Keladry Mindelan woke slowly and grumbled as she dragged herself to the bathroom. She locked the door after herself and begin the usual morning routine before she turned on the shower. As she scrubbed her scalp she tried to remember what had happened last night. And then she remembered. The boys. How had they gotten in here anyways? She couldn't remember seeing a fire escape ladder near the window or anything for safety in the crappy room now that she thought about it. She shuddered. She remembered that there wasn't even a fire alarm or sprinkler in the room. When this is over, she thought, I will speak to someone about that. 

She racked her brain. She knew she was forgetting something and she hated herself for it. It was something important. Terribly important, but what? As the shampoo bottle dropped to the ground, she went on hands and knees to catch it. When she was in the middle of straightening out, she remembered the vision she'd had the night before. She shot up quickly, causing to drop the shampoo bottle again and smack her head against the shelf in the shower.

She jumped for joy in the shower as she rubbed her head. She knew where to go! She knew where all of them were! All they had to do was retrieve them and then she could finish off the three men and then this mission was over. And, she smiled, Vidi would leave her alone. Her shoulders slumped as she remembered the last visit; there was a chance Liz would die.

She shook her head; it wouldn't do to think about that now. And there was a chance Liz, Neal, and Owen would die from the harshness of their imprisonment.

She quickly finished her shower and clumsily pulled on layers of clothes before bursting into the other room. She nearly tripped over Lerant's sleeping body on the floor in her excitement. She didn't care if she woke up the entire hall, she knew where they were!

"I know where they are!" she shouted and was answered by four grumbling men to go back to sleep. She laughed giddily and shook all of them. She was rewarded with a punch by Joren, which she quickly ducked, and an oddly giggling Wolset who was still dreaming. She pulled at her hair in frustration. She shrugged as she slapped Lerant, they _had_ to get up!

* * *

**Sorry that it wasn't that long, but all of that had to be in one chapter. If I'd put more, it would have been a different chapter. I don't know why but the thought of Wolset giggling amuses me, oh well. I'll put up chapter eighteen as soon as I write it. Thanks for reading and review!**

**Before I go I would like to thank the following:**

**walkin-on-cloud-9: thank you for reviewing and reading, I appreciate it**

**Ti-Ti: you probably won't ever read this anyway, but I can't reply to your review. I'm sorry you don't know what the hell is going on. I am confused at times myself, which is bad because I am the writer, but I am confused a lot of the time as my friends say. Thanks for reading anyway, sorry you are…lost? I don't know, I'm going to stop now.**

**LandUnderWave: thank you for reviewing on basically every chapter, it means a lot to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**klutzyspaz: did something drastic happen? JK, sorry it took awhile to update, I've been reading REALLY good books. That's not a great excuse is it? I've been reading so I can't update on fanfic, that sounds so lame. Forget I said anything. Please don't use this against me nervous laughter.**

**nicolerenea: thank you for reviewing! I like it when Wolset gets drunk as well, especially when he's giggling. It amuses me greatly, I have plans for more drunken episodes with this fellow, MUAHAHAHAHA, sorry.**

**Thank you to every one else who's reviewed at all or to anyone who's reading and NOT reviewing. Don't be shy, I won't bite your head off. I think. JK, but if you are reading and not reviewing that's ok, because I'm bad about reviewing as well which basically make me a hypocrite when it comes to tell you readers to review. I should be shunned. Anyways PLEASE review, it makes me happy, and it helps to write better if you know your audience, in other words, I can write stuff that you guys like more if I know my audience. Ugh, I bet no one's even reading this part, I'm going to stop now, sorry everybody.**

**Much love,**

**redpheonix**

**P.S. don't laugh, what else am I supposed to put? sorry about all of my ranting above, it wasted space where there could have been more story. tear I'll work on the next chapter as soon as I can! I promise! saluting to you even if it is a computer screen before me remember read and review! I am such a hypocrite, sorry again.**


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